As the Palace Turns; Doing the Laundry & Me!

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1 Generous in love - God, give grace! Huge in mercy - wipe out my bad record. 2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. 3 I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down. 4 You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. 5 I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. 6 What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. 7 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. 8 Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. 9 Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. 10 God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. 11 Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. 12 Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! 13 Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. 14 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. 15 Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise. 16 Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. 17 I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. (Psalm 51:1-17 The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday of the Tremendous kind, ConCafe Family! May it be one filled with awesome joy and tremendous blessings of the God-Kind for you, Friend, is my prayer for you! As we pray, let us take this prayer request to heart; this is from Ms. Felicia Cantu, our Administrative Assistant at the church of Gonzales: "My cousin Kasey Morris' family in Missouri. His wife Monica is in the hospital with Covid-19 and double pneumonia. They have three children, one of which is only 9 months old." May God hear our prayers and bring awesome healing to Monica and safety and protection for their children and all their familyl; in Jesus' name, amen! Also, please pray for a Mother and Daughter from Harlingen, Texas, who today have found they have Stage 4 cancer; Gloria G. Montes, and Neri M. Duran. These are women of faith as are we and we pray in the Lord Jesus' name for their healing and comfort! Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves, too!

I love having a washing machine and a dryer in our home. I like wearing and smelling clean clothes. I like washing clothes when I need to; but I strongly dislike having to go to a washeteria. Don't get me wrong, they exist for a reason, one which I well know and as a batchelor from 18 until I married at 25, I depended heavily on coin-operated machines to make my clothes clean. My Mom taught me to do my own laundry as I left home for college. And I quickly discovered where the laundrymat where one could rop off the clothes and have them washed and dried by others. Being a very private person I opted to not have the attendants fold my clothes. (Think Kevin in Home Alone 2 when his laundry is being delievered to him in the hotel!) I like what most washing machines can do to dirty clothes. I prefer the shower for myself, but sometimes, like David in the above passage, I have thought that maybe a cycle or two in a Maytag might not be bad for my sins. And David agrees, for he wrote this passage after his encounter with God through Nathan. While in yesterday's passage he might not have seemed so broken, he really was, as evidenced by what he penned. Look at verse two again, "Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry." Have I ever mentioned that I am a fountain pen guy? I fell in love with fountain pens in elementary school when Schaffer made the 97-cent see-throughs that students could buy almost anywhere. I love how the pen leaves an ink trail on the right paper and I also like how it tends to leave messy stains on my fingers and hands. And yes, even sometimes my shirts, so David's "Scrub away," really hits home. David is aware of his dirty soul from the sins of his actions. Only God's Laundry can do the job of complete stain removal. And David is aware of this as he writes in verse 7; "Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life." I never watched any episode of As The World Turns, but I highly doubt there was dialogue like this on it. And I don't think it's what sells soap. Ironic.

This is gospel good news before Jesus even made His appearance on earth! It was precisely why the crowds lined up to hear the funny dressed prophet by the Jordan River who was baptizing the un-baptizable with the forgiveness of sins! People realized they were in need of forgiveness and while the Jordan, not known for its clear or clean waters, was just the place in which to soak like laundry at the hands of John the Baptist, who as God's messenger had the authority to wash all who approached him and God. Those who did get the dunking had their life sentences commuted and found in God the Savior we all need; one who can take us right where we are and take us to the heavenly places where we belong. Living life all caked in mud just doesn't feel right, does it? Can you imagine living a sin-mucked life? Nah, I don't want to, nor do I want that for you or me! It's enough to make us walk to the big Westinghouse and crack open the lid and slide right now and put the knob on Soak! But, the good news is that we don't have to! All we have to do is make that our prayer and trust in the Lord! He will do the rest!

PRAYER: Abba, Father, in Jesus' name we pray for healing for those mentioned above, and for ourselves. Remove the Covid and Cancer from these dear sisters and from us the sin-stains we carry in our spirits; remove them and make us whole and clean before You. Grant to us the joy and "Foot-tapping songs" to dance our way into joy and the fullness of life; for we pray in Jesus' strong name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be an example of love to the one who does not yet know the fullness of love!

Receive my blessings of joy and freedom,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

As the Palace Turns... Soap Opera part two

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The long-awaited soap opera, part two, listen here: https://bit.ly/3zFXggw

26 When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27 When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." 7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan said to David, "Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. (2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! May the joy of the Lord be your strength today, dear Friend is my prayer for you. Prayers for those who need our prayers. Prayers for one another. Prayers for you, my friend.

Last week I may have surprised some of you with the old As the World Turns music theme from the 1960s; but it was, in my opinion, very appropriate for the soap opera elements of human life as found in the palace of Israel. The ruddy cheeked giant killer is now a grown man who followed his lust and seduced a married woman, then after failing to dupe her husband into sleeping with her to make him believe he was the child that his wife was now expecting, David orders him into the heat and height of battle only to have the soldiers withdraw from his side, allowing the enemy troops to murder him, this poor faithful solider, Uriah the Hittite. Today we're in chapter two of this drama, and like a good soap opera, we waited faithfully for this chapter to come around for we cannot leave unanswered questions hanging! Today, dear audience we find the widow learning that her husband is dead, and she mourns his death. We also learn that when the period of mourning was over, David orders her to the palace where he makes her his wife; better said, one of many wives, and she bears David a son. What does God think about all of this drama? Here's the prophet, as prophets do, speaking for God; "But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord," and the Lord sent Nathan to David," who came with a story about a rich man and a poor man. The story outlines how the rich man has all he has ever wanted, flocks and herds of every livestock he could ever have wanted; and the poor man "had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought." The story of this man and his little lamb was very touching. In fact, Nathan said the lamb was like a daughter to him. And yet, the rich man, when company came to visit him, decides to take that lamb from the poor man and has it slaughtered and served for dinner. Ouch!

David feels the same way; he's outraged and angered! This has always reminded me of our little nephew, who when in kindergarten, heard a classmate crying in the girl's restroom, and he ran in there and yelled, in Spanish, no less, "Who made this little girl cry?!" The teacher asked him to leave the girl's bathroom, and he again yelled, "I'm not leaving until someone tells me who made this little girl cry!" Again in Español. Even now I smile. He's a married man now with a daughter of his own, and still has a heart of gold and a very caring spirit. Yet, in David's case, he was unaware that the outrage he felt against the character of this parable, was directed to himself, for God's outrage was just like that. Just listen to God's declaration through the prophet, "I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of saul; I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me,and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife." Nathan continued, "I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." Whoa. Will this be what Judgment Day will be like for us?

The Lord has outlined exactly what would happen in the household of David; with his very sons being the "neighbor(s)" whom God said would do the wicked things that David himself had done. Yet, what David may have expected, he did not get, for the prophet said, "Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die."

There is a consequence to every sin. Even when done in secret when we think no one saw; God did. And that is enough. And while we may think such a situation as this makes for good soap opera, in real life, it makes for tragedy and sadness. I need to point out that the prophet did say, "The Lord has put away your sin." meaning that God forgave David, but did outline the consequences that would come his way as a result of his sin, and not as result of God sending this to him.

This calls us to reflection and repentance. We all have sinned, and we all stand in need of God's grace and forgiveness. While we may not be a king or a queen, we have areas of life over which we are responsible, and for which we have to answer; let us make the first move towards God in asking for His lovingkindness, grace, and forgiveness. God stands lovingly ready to forgive, and as the prophet said, "to put away our sin," which means it is erased and forgotten. At midnight tonight, all of yesterday's sins are erased as we have asked, and the slate is completely clean by the time we wake up. Let us resolve in our hearts to live the life to which we were called, and to do the job to which we were assigned.

PRAYER: Loving God, smile favorably upon us as we confess our sins to You. May You truly forgive and forget our sinfulness and wipe the slate clean. May our first moments tomorrow be moments of joy and happiness, for You have given us a new day and new opportunities in which to serve You. Help us make the most of today and tomorrow. This we pray by He, Whose merits we pray, Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Smile, you've been forgiven and the next chapter of your own personal soap opera does not have to be lived like you thought!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

We All Have a Job to Do

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Listen here to our devotional: https://bit.ly/3eZYZpb

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." 9 (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:1-16 NRSV)

A blessed and tremendous Tuesday be yours ConCafe Family! And may you do awesome things today with and for the Lord Jesus Christ is my prayer for you, Friend. May we bring blessings upon those who have asked blessings from us through our prayers; so let's be busy in praying! Pray also for one another and for our own needs.

How many jobs have you had in your life? Which of those stands out as the best? Which one as the worst? I started work at the very young age of 9. I worked in the grocery store where my Dad also started at age 9. I worked just on Saturdays from 8 am until 6 pm. And I have shared that I earned $1.50 for the entire day. I have had a lot of jobs and can easily share that the worst job was working with fiberglas and I did not last the entire summer as had been my intention. My favorite "job" was serving the Lord as pastor, campus minister, and district superintendent. Each of these ministerial assignments came at the right point in my life and career. I was blessed with the right companion which made the entire ministerial journey a wonderful blessing. What Paul is saying is that we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, have a job to do.

The first obligation of our job is to "lead a life worthy of the calling to which (we) have been called." This job is to live a humble and gentle life, being as patient as we can with one another; putting up with each other in love, seeking to maintain unity of the Holy Spirit, for the good of God's Kingdom. And with His power, the Lord Jesus Christ has given us further work in specialized areas; some as apostles; those who as disciples learn all they can from the Master, then go and live and do the things that they were taught. The Lord also called prophets, those who speak as prophets, in other words, those who speak on behalf of God. The others are evangelists,who take the good news of Jesus Christ beyond the church into the marketplace, the areas where preChurch people can be found. Pastors are another, and these are they who give of their lives to shepherd the flock of believers in certain churches. And Paul also says Jesus needs teachers, who will instruct and nurture the new and established believers in the faith. And saints are the believers in Jesus, work with all these mentioned, work for building up the body of Christ.

Paul also values our maturing in Christ, which means to be as Christ-like as we can; avoiding our acting like children in terms of not commiting and standing with the basic doctrines of faith. During Paul's day and even today, some change their doctrinal stances with every whim and fancy. We know the truth and so we must remain in the truth in love, aching to mature into the fullness of faith with Christ as our head. It is in Christ that "the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love."

So, dear friend, we have work to do and with Christ as our head and our example, we can live into a full-time worker for the good of God in the world and it starts within our hearts.

PRAYER: Loving Father, place in us a heart full of love that serves as the fuel for our serving You in honest ways of faith. May we move ever forward and upward in loving all people, seeking to bring them into the fullness of our joy. It is in Christ Jesus that we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Let your love radiate on all people today!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Ya Hungry?

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Hear the devotional lesson here: https://bit.ly/3y5dn6J

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. (John 6:1-21 NIV)

Happy Monday, dear ConCafe Family! May Jesus be made real in your life, Friend today; and may you share the reality of Jesus too! Our continued prayers for those in need; for each other, and for ourselves.

Well, yesterday in my sermon I confessed that I stand in need of God's grace and strength often. And today again, is one of those days. As happens more often than I'd like, I misread the gospel lesson from one week instead of the right week. So, today's gospel lesson was from last week. If you're preparing a sermon, go to last Monday's gospel lesson and find the right gospel lesson for August 1st. Let me express my deep appreciation for The Rev. Dr. Bradley DeHaven from CC St. Luke's UMC, and The Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington for their invitaitons to preach these last two Sundays. And to their congregations for their welcoming spirits and appreciation. I was blessed to have been in your pulpits. I pray that God was glorified and your souls edified, and Satan mortified.

I love Jesus. I pray you do too. Jesus did so much while on the earth during His earthly ministry, and even today He continues to do exactly the same if we but let Him, and invite Him. A recent theme of our devotional study has been Jesus' commitment to wholeness which include even the physical fulfillment of hunger. As I said last week, Jesus was the original Methodist, because He brought the meal! And today it was brought in a miraculous way. And Jesus even toys with one of His disciples, to test him of course, asking where he thought they could find enough bread to buy in order to feed 5,000 men (not counting women and children!). Jesus, of course, already knew what He would do, but wanted to hear from Philip. And Philip did not disappoint; "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one ot have bite!" A bite? We speak of the the mentality of scarcity and generosity; those with a generous mindset say "We have enough," and then give, not only of their money, but of themselves. The others never have enough, so they never give or share. Philip, in his defense, had not fully grown in his faith and his walk with Jesus. He was one who gave of himself to die for Jesus, so we cannot condemn him. Jesus is the Man of Why Not. When told that there was a little boy in the crowd who had shown up with five small barley loaves and two small fish, Jesus says and does, the Why Not. (Peter's brother Andrew was not there yet either!) But Jesus has the people sit down, and in an act of gratitude, give thanks to God, and then begins to hand out loaves and fishes. And everyone had enough. In fact, when the eating was over, there were 12 baskets filled with the uneaten loaves and fish. Jesus did not want anything wasted, so we can only imagine they were used to feed more along the way.

This miracle was enough for some in the crowd to declare Jesus as the long awaited Prophet. Jesus knew their next step was to make Him king by force, retreats away from there to a mountain to be by Himself. We know He was a man of prayer, so he spent time praying to His Father. The disciples meanwhile head to the water and set to cross the lake. It gets dark and Jesus had not yet joined them. And, as happens on the lake, a storm comes up, and the waters get rough. They fight the storm by rowing and get about three or four miles when they see Jesus approaching the boat by walking on the water; and this scares them even more. Jesus said to them, as He has often told me, and even you, "Don't be afraid! It is I!" It is then when they allow Jesus on the boat and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. This, my friends, could count as yet another miracle. The presence of Jesus in any situation invites His power to be present, and once there, the boat gets to the shore immediately. Ponder on that for a moment.

Jesus came to save the world. His agenda or goal was for it to happen right away. We became His disciples not just to get to Heaven, but to live and love in ways that bring Heaven here right now. It means living lives with eyes and hearts wide open to the needs of our neighbors so that we can do all we can to help meet those needs. Jesus fed the hungry and as He spoke of the coming great judgement He said we would be judged by those we fed who were hungry; quenced the thirst of those who were thirsty; clothed those who were naked; visited those who were sick or in jail, and welcomed all. The hunger that so many have today is the spiritual hunger to know they are loved and welcomed into the Kingdom of God. That theirs is a bright hope because they can become part of a functioning church that marches ever forward in a triumphant way to make new disciples who care for one another. Our hunger should be to do more, love more, and reach more. And with Jesus "on board" we can do that immediately, and the number won't matter; for He who could feed the 5,000 can help us reach unimaginable numbers too!

PRAYER: Loving God, feed us with the desire and drive to bring Your Reign here on the earth. Help open our eyes, ears, and our thinking to the generosity that is ours. Help us win the world for You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Feed someone with love and acceptance today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

What Fools Say

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Listen here for the devotional: https://bit.ly/3BCOxxw

1 Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." Their words are poison gas, fouling the air; they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop. 2 God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid - one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman. 3 He comes up empty. A string of zeros. Useless, unshepherded Sheep, taking turns pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and nine follow their fellow. 4 Don't they know anything, all these impostors? Don't they know they can't get away with this - Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray? 5 Night is coming for them, and nightmares, for God takes the side of victims. 6 Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true. 7 Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; God turns life around. Turned-around Jacob skips rope, turned-around Israel sings laughter. (Psalm 14 The Message Bible)

A joyous Thursday be yours, ConCafe Family; and may your example today affirm that God is not only real, but He lives in you, Friend. May we continue to pray for one another, for the needs of our world, country, community, home, workplaces and even play places; and of course, pray for ourselves.

Full of gas, and not in the gas station type of way, is how The Rev. Dr. Eugene Peterson reads the first verse, which in other translations says, "The fool says in his heart, “'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." I think it is a great paraphrase and sums up what the psalmist had in mind about how such a statement could come from any mouth. Some have even said that while David was with Bathseba he was really saying that by his actions. It is an intriguing thought. And had God stuck His head down from heaven to see David in that action, he must have thought what verse 2 is saying. And God certainly must say that of us when we abandon what we know to be right, and go wrong anyway! And we're anything but "shepherdless" or "unshepherded."

We can only imagine God's quest to find "someone not stupid - one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman." Honestly, it is stupidity that can rule us if we abandon God. We, who have been exposed to the truth of God's love and mission to bring us back into relationionship with Him, to choose to be without a guiding shepherd and live a life like a wayward lamb. And in a sharp contrast with what Luke 15 says that 99 stay faithful, but one wanders off, The Message says that it is sometimes easier for us to follow 99 than to prayerfully consider the options and consequences of what may come as a result of our decisions. What this version says is true; "Don't they know they can't get away with this?" And the list that comes with it; "Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray?" (ouch!). "Night is coming for them, and nightmares, for God takes the side of victims." God also favors the dreams of the poor, because the psalmist believes that God will help them achieve those dreams; and even when it seems that the odds are against God's People, God is still there for them, and God can indeed, turn things/life around. This is fuel for our skipping rope and laughing in joy.

Yes, God does look upon us and I pray that on me, and on you, He would find those who love and trust Him, and who walk with Him, and not as this paraphrase editions says he finds and thinks of those who do not know, or want to know, Him. May He truly find in us those who are useful, shepherded people who follow The Good Shepherd to pastures of victory in our lives. May we lead the 99 away from sin and into the way of salvation.

PRAYER: Loving Shepherd, speak to our hearts now and guide us. Empower us to be leaders who lead people away from the wrong and into the right; away from the bad and into the good. May our lives say loudly, "There is a God and I love Him!" For we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless someone with your faith in God today!

Receive my blessings of hope and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

When Kings Go to War

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Listen to the devotional right here: https://bit.ly/3kD1yAS

1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” 6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. 10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” (2 Samuel 11:1-15 NIV)

Happy and Blessed Wednesday to you, ConCafe Family; and rich surprise of faith be yours, Friend, in ways that drive you to serve the Lord even more fervently. Our prayers for the speedy recovery of The Rev. Ken Houston, who underwent surgery yesterday. Rev. Houston is a retired UM pastor and for many years was the chaplain on death row in Huntsville. We pray his recovery is smooth and speedy. Prayers for his loving wife, Lynn as well.

I have shared how back in the day, I would come home and find my Mom on the phone talking about Bob and LIsa. I knew immediately it was my Aunt with whom she was talking, but I had no idea who Bob or Lisa were. Our family and my aunt and uncle's family went to the same church, and at El Buen Pastor UMC in Houston, there were no Bobs or Lisas. I waited until she got off the phone and asked, "Who is Bob and Lisa?" She laughed and said, "They're from As the World Turns!" Oh. A soap opera? I think ATWT lasted a 100 years on TV, and for all I know now, Bob and Lisa are still on, probably having torrid stories to tell from the nursing home!

Today's passage is straight from a script of a soap opera. It's an honest story about human desires and urges, and it happens in the palace, of all places. Our little shepherd boy is all grown up now, being a successful king, now at war with the Ammonites, and like all good kings, stays home and lets the general and his armies fight the battle. In the cool of the evening David take a stroll on the roof of his palace, and while there he happens to see a beautiful woman bathing. Stunned by her beauty, David wants to know more about her. Facebook was not yet fully developed, nor was Instagram or any other social app around to help him snoop on her background. The man sent to inquire comes back with the report; Her name is Bathsheba, who's the daughter of Eliam, and she's also married, to Uriah the Hittite, who also happens to be a soldier in King David's army. So, David sends messengers to bring her to the palace, and in an abuse of his position and power, he seduces her and she leaves only to find she is pregnant from the encounter. David's mind tells him to send for her husband, so that he can relax at home with his wife, then he will think the child is his. David has orders for Uriah to come to report on the battle, which he does, and then David says he should go home and wash his feet. A clever way to say, enjoy your stay at home, and enjoy your wife. But faithful soldier and good citizen Uriah, decides to sleep at the entrance of the palace with all the servants. He does not go home. Word gets back to the king that Uriah did not go home. So, he sends for the soldier to come see him. "Haven't you just come from a military campaign? Why didn't you go home?" Uriah replies that "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" David requests Uriah stay another night. David invites him to come and have supper at the palace. David tries to get him drunk, but that night, faithful Uriah went to sleep on his mat among the servants of the king. David then writes a letter to Joab ordering Uriah to be on the front lines where the fighting was the worst. Once there, the men were supposed to retreat so that Uriah would be struck down and die. Gulp.

This would have been the top-rated episode of the entire series. A king abuses his power, seduces a beautiful married woman, gets her pregnant, tries to get the pregnancy blamed on the husband, but when that fails, orders the murder of the faithful soldier. Had this happened in today's world, as a real social scandal, it would have been the lead story on the 5:30 national news; the head articles in the top newspapers, both in print and online form, and Congress would be clamoring for the resignation of the king! (Can a king be forced to resign? Would a king like David, hugely popular among all people, might not have been forced to resign). And in fact, this action, perhaps not widely known, did not mar his standing among the people of Israel. The chief clergy of the day, as we will see in subsequent weeks, did have something to say about this whole episode, but for now our attention is on the sadness of all that has taken place.

Which of the Ten Commandments did he break? Hmm, he was guilty of coveting his neighbor's wife, making her for that evening, his desired god. He committed adultery. He bore several falsehoods against Uriah and used his servants to make sure his story was in line with the actions; and he did kill someone. The DA would have had a field day filing the corresponding charges against this man. The question would there be enough evidence to convict? The scholars ask, did David get away with murder, and adultery, and lying, and, and, and...

This is a passage about the reality of life. Sin never sleeps, or as the word says, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour," and found in David a victim. And sometimes, it's not just David; it could anyone with a breath and a pulse that at the right moment succumbs to temptation and commits a sin. Others have asked why would God allow that? The answer is that God is a just God, and a loving God. He waited for David to confess his sin and he forgave him, and still used David for other matters that God needed accomplished in the kingdom. God expects us to rise above that which mired us down in the places where we did not want to go; God does not want us to end up where we messed up; God calls us to rise above, and with His help to move steadily forward and upward. That may ruin the script for a successful soap opera, but stay tuned!

PRAYER: Awesome God, show Your mercy to us when we need it most. When we are at our weakest, be at Your strongest so that we may be lifted up and away from temptation. Guide us, lead us, and make us whole. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a lifeline of hope and understanding to someone today!

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Rooted & Grounded In Love?

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Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3rksua1

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Familly! May the joy of the Lord be your strength today and all days, dear Friend, is my prayer. May our prayers continue for the needs of those shared with us; pray for one another, and pray for yourselves and your personal needs.

I once heard a professor describe the differing modes and stances of prayer. He said that some believers pray on their knees with heads bowed and eyes closed. This is a custom in the West. In the East, believers stand and raise their hands in prayer. And Americans, he said, sit and have their hands in the pockets playing with their car keys! (This is a joke! Though truthfully when I first heard it thought he was being a bit dangerously close to insulting some of us in that class!)

Paul was a man of prayer and his stance was to humble his body and his heart while kneeling in prayer. He was also a man who listened as he prayed, and after he prayed. It was through prayer that he was nurtured and strengthened, and he gained wisdom and knowledge. He acknowledges God the Father as our source of life and all things, thus the reference to our taking our name from God, as do the people in heaven and on earth. If we truly taught and lived that, imagine the harmony we would enjoy as believers and cirizens. Paul's tremendous prayer was that all who believe and call on the Lord would be strengthened in our inner being with power through His Spirit. And this in turn would bless us for having Jesus in our hearts through faith, and all the while we are "being rooted and grounded in love."

Our home came with a flower bed with nice flowers that lasted maybe a good part of our first couple of years. Somehow, wayward grass and a great variety of weeds made their unwanted appearance in our flower bed. For three years or so, Nellie and I would vainly pull all sort of muscles in our body trying to dig up and root out weeds and the wayward grass. I learned that weeds, for the most part, have very little roots. As a weed is starting its growth in unwanted places it is easy to pull and discard. The last few years has brought to our flower bed, the dreaded and very ugly clumps of crabgrass. This menace grows really tall really fast, and it's an eyesore. Finally, a couple of Saturdays ago, our son-in-law Eric, came and re-did the flower bed in the proper way. We laid a mesh weed block, and planted on it new regional flowers and supported them with mulch. The weeds and the plants showed me the importance of roots. It is from and through roots that we are able to receive the nutrition and sustenance we need; and if we allow our spiritual and emotional roots to be in love, imagine the "flowers" that would bloom. If we would allow our minds to be grounded in love as well, how awesome would be our thoughts and actions! In reality, all who surrender their lives to Jesus should be, as Paul is describing, people of love and service to the Lord Unfortunately, the recent trend for the Christian church has shown that love is missing from many of its actions and decisions; and the church is not addressing the issues and root evils in our society as it once did, and efforts to revive those efforts are met with criticism and disdain. And while, most of us cannot control the actions of the Church, we can however, control and correct our actions to those of love and a grounding in Christ Jesus. We should set as our goal to glorify God and imitate Jesus. But if instead of roots in love, you know your roots are in hate, what do you expect will grow and sprout from your mind, mouth, and methods? If your roots are in apathy, what will grow and bloom as a result? We know full well just what we will see. Jeremiah in his book mentions what David mentioned in the psalms; "7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17). If our trust is in the Lord and we make our decisions based on that trust, we will do the right thing and we will live in the right way. The prophet had studied those trees along streams; if a tree could fear, it wouldn't fear heat (Hear that Texas trees?); it also would not worry about its leaves because they would stay green thanks to its roots in the stream, and droughts would not make it anxious, and it would always bear fruit. The earlier verses in that same chapter speak of a different result. Those who place their trust in humans and not the Lord would live as shrubs in the desert, and never see relief; the dryness of the drought would also be the dryness of their soul, and it would never bear fruit. If you live in Texas or in dry, arid places and the sun loves to shine brightly, you already know what the prophet is talking about. I saw some Seguin lizards shopping at our Walmart looking for sandals with which to beat the heat! They had to settle for little paper umbrellas and tiny sunglasses!

The choice is up to us and how we seek to live our lives. We should seek to live as imitators of Christ Jesus, modeling our lives after that of our Savior. I believe most of us had earlier times as children, when we modeled our lives after someone in a hobby or career that we aspired to; and we watched their every move, the stances they may have taken before batting, or shooting a free throw, or wearing what they wore; all in hopes that that would bring us that much closer to them and the life they lived. The notion of imitating Christ is a radical action where we put aside our once aggressive drives for money, power, success, fame; and replace them with what Paul discovered count for eternal rewards; love, compassion, kindness, tolerance, empathy, service, and the list goes on with all the loving and positive things we could do and show for others. The goal is to show Christ in us each day in a genuine way so that that may please God and bless God's people.

PRAYER: Loving Father, bless us in our daily lives with the ways we can be just like Your Son, Jesus. We know the world hungers for Him and our doing our part will bring Him to life in us and bring countless blessings to our situations. This is our desire and we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray endless prayers for wisdom and boldness.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Donuts Saved My Life!

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Listen to the devotional: https://bit.ly/2URpINk

24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:24-35 NIV)

HELLO! Some of you may have read the rough draft of today's devotional. I apologize! I set it up to finish later, but being super tired from preaching two sermons, the long drive back home, and in between fun with family, I confess I went to bed before I could complete this. But here it is, a bit late. Thank you for understanding!

A joyous and blessed Monday, dear ConCafe family, with God's awesome guidance be with you, dear Friend is my prayer. I thank God for your faithfulness and I thank you for the prayers that Nellie and I could feel in our trip to Corpus Christi and the two worship services and the baptism of our little guy. The comments were very nice and I pray that God was glorified with what I shared in the sermon. One woman at the traditional service was visiting only because her son was the guest pianist for the day and she was very affirming in her words about the sermon. I praise God for that opportuity to share, and I bother you again in asking for prayers for this coming Sunday where I will be preaching at both services at First UMC of Gonzales, TX. Pastor Matt has started a sermon series on the Psalms and he was gracious enough to let me preach on the 23rd Psalm. I ask prayers for the family of Rev. & Mrs. Michael Dobbs, as Mrs. Olga Dobbs' mom, Dolores Gatlin, died on Saturday in Alice, TX. Pray that God share His comfort and peace to them. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

The Rev. Kit Tomlinson is an awesome guy. He's been on my staff during my time in San Marcos and his testimony about his faith has blessed me and many. He sums it up by saying that "Donuts saved me life." As a student in Texas Tech, he was hungry as he walked by the United Methodist campus ministry center, and he read a sign that said Free Donuts. Not one to pass up free food, like a true United Methodist, he stopped in for the free donuts and left a born-again Christian! It was also through his participation at CM that he met the love of his life, The Rev. Leslie Tomlinson. There is nothing wrong with offering food as part of one's ministry, as the original UM had to be Jesus. Hunger was a real issue during His time, and any offer of free food would attract the hungry, thus crowds. Of course, Jesus knew some were only interested in the soup not the sermon. (This is a reference to most homeless ministries of old, where the hungry had to sit through a sermon and then receive the free soup). The caution of Jesus is that we should "not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life." And Jesus says He is the one who can provide this eternal food. And Jesus takes time to explain the real truth behind the manna in the desert; "It is not Moses who has give you bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven." And what is this "bread?" Jesus says, "For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world." Huh, they must have thought? And the smart ones said, "Sir, always give us this bread." Notice the not just now, but always! Then Jesus reveals Himself in saying, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

The gospel of John is not one of the synoptic gospels. I saw a cute meme the other day that had a teacher saying, "Matthew, Mark, and Luke; I'd like to see you all after class." I laughed for I got it. The three borrowed from each other; John did not. John's work is called the spiritual gospel for his deals more with the spiritual nature of Jesus and Jesus' ministry and it was selected to be the gospel that divided the once lengthy book of Luke-Acts; for Acts brings in the coming of the Holy Spirit and church patriarchs wanted a gospel that further explains the role and nature of the third person of the Godhead, so John's gospel goes there. It is interesting to note that John's gospel also has several "I am" declarations by Jesus, and this one is the first. Here is a list:

I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the door of the sheep. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the true vine. I will never forget when our choir in San Marcos for Christmas did a cantata with all of these declarations, and the service was set up so that I could do a mini-sermon after each of the I am's. And our choir director, Ms. Jody Bagley, who's a dedicated reader of ConCafe, set it up with each I am listed and I would preach a word or two about each. I prepared for all of them except the last and I didn't realize it until that morning as the choir was singing. I prayed and said, "Lord, You have to help me! I'm not ready, and I don't know what to say!" So, this is the end of the cantata and the choir, as always had done a marvelous job. The congregation is smiling, the choir is beaming, and I'm at the point of screaming! I stood up. I held the sides of the pulpit tight and said, "Friends, we have just heard the most marvelous declarations from Our Lord to us. I shared that which the Lord placed in my heart, the only thing I, and that we, can say in response to all of Jesus' declarations is, I am Yours. Would you say that with me? They were ready and said it beautifully. I think with a bit of shock. I said, "Let's say it again." We all said, "I am Yours." And one more time, "I am Yours." It was perfect as all of what God provides always is. We closed with the benediction and I truly believed God was glorified. I ask the same of you today. To hear Jesus say to you right now, that He is the bread of life, what can you say? Some of us may truly say, "I am hungry for You, dear Jesus, and expect that He, the bread of life, will give us that which satisfies for all eternity. Others may not yet know you are hungry, but the day will soon come, and you will, I pray, join the millions who have said to Our Lord, "Lord, I am hungry for the bread that only You can provide."

PRAYER: Bread of heaven, and Bread of Life, speak to me the words I long to hear and thus feed me with this bread that will fill me until I am in Your presence . Help me to share that bread, for I know there are many who are hungry and have gone begging for bread in all the wrong places. For the money hungry, for the power hungry, for the emotionally hungry, for the addict to the wrong things; grant to me the words and examples that will lead them to come to the table where we can feast with the bread of life, Jesus, Our Lord, in Whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the bread today!

Receive my blessings and thanks for your love and prayers,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Shepherd's Affirmation

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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3eDghZ5

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23 King James Version)

A blessed and terrific Thursday be yours, ConCafe Family, and may you come to know and trust the Shepherd even more today than ever before, is my prayer for you, dear Friend.

A touching moment happened yesterday afternoon. Our daughter Caitlin called us with Eli in the background being a bit fussy, because that is a baby's right right after daycare, and I thought if I sang him a song my Mom sang to me, that Nellie and I sang to our girls, and to our grankids, and he started really crying, saying something that we couldn't understand, but I knew that I had made a connection with him. Since we stopped seeing him on an almost daily basis, I feared Eli might not recognize or know me if I took too long in seeing and holding him in person.

This simple, six-verse psalm is a connecting song for many of us. In saying it or hearing it read, many of us can think back to our grandparents or parents saying in worship, or duing prayer time, and though we might not have yet fully known the words of their meaning, the connection was there; with them, with God, and even with ourselves. I cannot help but try to step back in time to when David sat down to pen the words to this psalm that has blessed and helped countless people of prestige and position, as well as people with just a need in their heart to hear again this simple, yet powerful affirmation of that shepherd boy who knew Who the real Shepherd had been in his life. Can you imagine the first night that David had to watch the sheep by himself? How Jesse must have said, "Son, you're ready to assume this duty by yourself. The sheep know you, they know your voice; they have seen you follow me and your older brothers, so they know that you know just what to do. I believe in you, son." And that night set in motion a lifetime of faith and trust in God. For while he knew he could defend the sheep and himsellf, that night formed him as a true shepherd, so that when he finally sat down to write this psalm, he had God's hand guiding his hand over this psalm so that when it was read, we received the blessings that God has been sharing since that day David wrote it.

Let's look at this psalm again. The foundation of this affirmation is God. Anything after that either comes from God, or God created it. There is a sense of direction and purpose to the psalm, where food and provision are readily available from God's loving hand. God's understanding allows us to regroup, refresh, and renew. The paths on which we travel are guided by Him; always the good, never the bad; yes, sometimes the going does get a little rough and shaky, but our fear is limited by the belief and knowledge that He is with us, and He has everything needed to protect and care for us. We know the time will come when we will finally see our enemies humbled to the point of only being to watch our anointing and feast with He who has been our King. This will allow us to say, all that is good, all that is merciful, will be ours, and the dwelling place for us, for all eternity, will be His house.

That, my dear friend, is an affirmation that we should believe, say, and live!

PRAYER: Loving God and Shepherd, thank You. Words are not enough to express what we truly feel, but we pray that our actions can help us be the good news that others need to see and receive. In Thy name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Show someone the faith you have in The Good Shepherd today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Gathering of the Flock

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Listen to the devotional:https://bit.ly/3xDfJtC

1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, says the LORD 5 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jeremiah 23:1-6 Revised Standard Version)

A wonderful Wednesday be yours today, dear ConCafe Family, and joys of blessings upon blessings be yours, dear friend is my prayer! Our heartfelt prayers for Mr. Travis Anderson who's in a Corpus Christi hospital's ICU. Travis is the son of Mark and Debbie Anderson of St. John's UMC of CC. Prayers also for Mr. Dane Sullivan of Gonzales recovering at home after he received a necessary surgery. Prayers for his healing and recovery. Pray for one another; and pray for yourselves.

As a boy I remember one Sunday morning listening to the sermon with a quizzative mind, namely, does this pastor feel any excitement in what he is sharing or is it just a routine? It was something that I believe was prepping me for the road I woulld ultiamtely follow when I answered yes to God's call on my life, and that followed me every time I was in church and worshiping God. It finally made me realize that I did love hearing sermons, but only what I deemed good for whatever that meant at that point of my life. And once when in seminary I remember trying to make new friends while ilistening to other people's call stories, and I was shocked at the number of "calls" centered on money and perceived convenience. I kept hearing my Lord's words from Matthew 22:14, "Many are called, few are chosen." Through the years I lost track of many, and I pray they did finally learn what their call was truly about. One man said his minister had "the dream job. He has a membership at the country club, plays golf, enjoys fine meals there, and drives a nice car; why wouldn't I want to do that?" Uh. I regret knowing that some stayed with the "call," and did pretty much what this passage is about, scattered the sheep of the Lord's flock for they did little to show care for the flock and neglected the needs. And I remember the morning that Bishop Dorff called and invited me to be on his cabinet as a superintendent and then told me to which distirct I would be assigned. Silently, I prayed asking God's help for the new road on which I would travel, asking for wisdom and His anointing so I could serve faithfully; then I called Nellie and together we cried as I told her the news, adding that we were bound to secrecy and could not even tell our girls. Then I went home and we prayed together. Again, I prayed asking for wisdom, and I heard God tell me three things that we needed to do as a church; 1) recapture the power of prayer, 2) put passion in the pulpit, and 3) purpose in the pew. Once upon a time the people called Methodists were known for their power in praying, and the reality that they prayed from their hearts and not from a prayer book. On my Sundays off, I loved to visit colleagues preach and that I believe prompted the second, we truly need passion in the pulpit. The end of worship services many times leaves people wondering what should be next, and pastors should emphasze what purpose they expect from the pew.

Through the years I have heard the different labels associated with the different styles of pastoring we have seen. "Keepers of the Aquarium," whose name kinda gives it away. Then there are "chaplains of the church," which serve much in the same way as chaplains in the military or in schools. "Social Directors," whose role is to keep people entertained and happy. Fewer and growing every smaller are the true "shepherds," as those who fit the role that God is talking about in this passage. Who sacrifice much to care and bless their flocks, while still seeking other sheep not yet in the fold. Those mentioned above care mainly about keeping the in, in, and quite possibly keeping the out, out. I do, however, still believe that Jesus will gather back His flock, from the remnant of His flock, and supply us with these new shepherds who can and will be fruitful and multiply, and these shepherds should care for them, and they will drive out fear, dismay, and wander off no more. Their love will be demonstrated in their sermons, their pastoral care and visits, their teachings, and the way they model their lives which reveal their true hearts for God. Our prayers go up for all mentioned today, that God would work in and through, and in spite of, them all, for the greater good of His work among us.

PRAYER: Loving Shepherd of the world, our prayers go up for all who were mentioned here. You better than we, know the needs and challenges ever before the Church, and we pray that Your will be done. Bless in us mighty ways to go forth to do Your will and that we might bring blessings to Your Church; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a shepherd's helper among the sheep in your local flock.

Receive my blessings of hope and strength,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Once Excluded; Now Included!

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Listen to the Devotional here: https://bit.ly/3AZ2eWY

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22 NIV Bible)

Happy Tuesday ConCafe Family, and rich, special, unexpected blessings be yours, dear Friend. Join me in prayer today for Mrs. Deanie Ploeger as she battles her fight against cancer. Pray for Leslie her husband, and Paisley, their granddaughter, whom they have raised since a baby. Paisley's mom died a few years ago, and her grandmother's battle has not been easy for her. Pray for the pastors who visit and pray with those like Deanie, who need prayer and words of comfort and assurance; our pastors do too.

In 1965 when my family moved us to Houston, the world was different for us. We had left what we considered our paradise home to a strange, new land. What helped was that our former pastor from Kingsville and his wonderful family, were now the pastoral family of our new church. As I mentioned yesterday, both churches had the very same name, so there was no having to learn new church names. We went from what we joked were Kingsville traffic jams to the real, agonizing traffic jams of Houston. New church friends teasingly asked if we had seen the "spaghetti bowl." We were puzzled and wondered how special must this serving bowl be that people talk about it. They were, of course, joking about the downtown freeway interchange that from an aerial view was a spaghetti outlay of roads and bridges, overpasses, and the like. We moved into an apartment building that looked like it had once been a large home, but it was in fact built to house four families, two on each floor. We did not know that the real estate on which our entire block sat was prime real estate, multi-million dollar properties. We did know that directly across the street sat a sole house on an entire city block. The couple that lived in that house we knew only as The No Trespassing's. They must have been proud of that name because every few feet on that huge land they owned they displayed their name: No Trespassing! They were not friendly, and hardly came outside. They somehow had come to own all the block and must have been proud of that accomplishment. And not too far from where we lived, was a neighborhood that my brother and I happened upon one day that we took a walk exploring. I should mention our apartment was only 16 blocks from the Humble Building, at the time, the largest building in Texas. And not too far from there was Foley's flagship store where every Christmas they would go all out in making Christmas scenes like those one sees in Macy's or even Main Street Disney World. We would often take family walks from our home to Foley's and then back home. In our world, we were welcome to interact and live; across the street we were afraid to even step one foot on the NT's block. And, later we would find that neighborhood with huge mansion type homes had erected huge gates, locked, of course, and being family members to the No Trespassing's from our street! And they even put huge gates on both sidewalks of that street. We lucked out in visiting when we did, for now that was a forbidden world. For a child it's no big deal; but to wondering and wandering adults, those seem strange places to know about, for what they have inside their world is closed to the outside world. Years later, I had a practice of taking each of my girls with me on a plane to a meeting, so they could experience plane travel, as before a child turned two, they traveled free on a parent's lap. On one of those trips, we sat on the row behind First Class. My daughter got hungry and asked if we could eat. She began to smell food and saw that carts filled with food were coming down the aisle, only to see the curtain to first class closed, and she cried. "Why can't we eat what they're eating?"

Once, Paul says, you Gentiles were separate from the most wonderful thing in the world, Christ Jesus and His love. As Gentles, he writes, you could not hold citizenship in Israel nor could you be a part of "the covenants of the promise," meaning because of your birth, you were without hope and without God in the world. Not a good place to be in; nor die in. And had it not been for Jesus, we would still be "outsiders" and orphans; in fact, Paul says, Christ came to break down all barriers and to do away with divisions of hostility, seeking to make in Himself, a new humanity of peace. And He died a violent, painful death just to bring us peace. But thanks be to God, we now have access to the Father by one Spirit, and "we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people", and members of His household! We share a foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. All this comes together to become a building joined together and stands tall as a holy temple in Christ Jesus. And in Him we are also being built together as a dwelling for God's Holy Spirit. And where God's Holy Spirit dwells, the only ones excluded are those who serve and believe in God's enemy.

The times are in desperate need of our living in that way and sharing of that way with those still outside the "walls" of salvation. Hostility is still very much alive and doing as much harm as it can, and we as Christians should speak out against it and live our lives as a testimony of what can be. In Christ we find our new identity: 1. My new identity in Christ brings me in as a full member of God's special people. 2. My new identity in Christ gets rid of all my excuses for being hostile. 3. My new identity in Christ Jesus gives me full and complete access to God. 4. My new identity in Christ makes me a unique and special part of God's living temple. In me, and those who live according to this new identity will be magnets to those still drifting out there lost. We become light to those stumbling in darkness, and we become the clear path to what can be in Him.

PRAYER: Loving God, help us to fully realize, accept, and live into this new identity. Forgive us for the times we have acted on our own and drifted further away from You. Pull us back towards You and Your special love. Set us on fire to live, proclaim and be the Gospel that others need to see; in Christ Jesus our Lord we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live the prayer for someone that we just prayed together!

Receive my blessings of hope, light, and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Fixin' Business

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30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 NRSV)

Happy and Blessed Monday, ConCafe Family. May the strength of the Lord bless you, dear friend today and all days is my prayer for you, in Jesus' name, amen. I ask your prayers for me as this coming Sunday I will be preaching for the first time in about 15 months, and I will have the honor of baptizing our grandson, Eli Ryan Munoz. Most of you have been praying for him for over ten months, and for Nellie and me as we shared our lives with him and were so blessed in watching him grow and blossom. May God give me the word, on this passage for the people of God and the congregation of St. Luke's United Methodist Church of Corpus Christi. Pray for the needs shared with you, and make time to pray for your needs before the Lord.

One dream I have is to return back to Israel and take a photo of a shepherd with his sheep in the fields outside of Jerusalem. The last time we were there we saw a few but at about 50 miles an hour which makes for bad photo. Of all the photos and paintings of a shepherd and flock the one used today is one of my favorite. When I was district superintendent of the Coastal Bend District, I was able to take the above and integrate into the faces of the pastors and spouses of the district. It is quite amazing the webpage that allowed that to be; but the story it told was even more amazing. We are all the flocks of His pasture. And we enjoy Him, as the Good Shepherd. Of the two churches that were part of my formative years, both were named, El Buen Pastor, which is Spanish for The Good Shepherd. It was in them that I was exposed to preachings and teachings that allowed me to learn first, the 23rd Psalm en espanol, but more importantly to come to know the shepherd Himself. This passage is a brief reminder of the vast love Jesus has for you, and for me. His ministry was to bring the sheep of God back to God. Re-read verse 34 and read there these words, "As He went ashore, He saw a great crowd; and He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. As this devotional is about fixing things, one of the main things that we need, as His sheep, is direction. A good shepherd leads. A good shepherd knows where to find a secure and safe spot to rest; the best places to eat, and offers always, His protection for His sheep. "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.." (Psalm 23). "The good shepherd lays down his life for his flock." (John 10:11).

The second thing a sheep needs is healing and wholeness. Sheep are prone to wander off, and sometimes off cliffs, injure themselves, and need to to be lifted up out of ravines and carried home where wounds and injuries can be addressed. The psalm mentions a rod and a staff; the crook fo the staff was used to lift up the sheep and the rod to fend off predators; Jesus still offers that to us when we face our enemies and when we need to be lifted up. And the Lord's healing touch is still very much real and present and works according to God's will. As we read in this passage, the people came to realize that in Jesus they could find the healing and wholeness they needed; which explains their laying the mats and beds of the sick in the marketplaces, and their asking for Jesus to at least touch His garment, for all who did were healed. I remember as first-time parents when our newborn had a fever the panic that set in, and how quickly we dialed our pediatrician's phone knowing he had an after-hours service and how thankful we were that it was he on duty that night. He calmed us down and soon the fever was gone and our baby was fine. We have been anxious, nervous, worried, scared at tests and results and we vow to do all we can to get well. In Jesus' time, they had none of the luxuries that we enjoy now when it comes to medical care. I still remember doctors when they made housecalls. The appearance of the big black car and the doctor with the black bag meant only one thing for me; his stainless steel syringe would soon be out and for whatever I was ailing, I would get a shot. All of which the ancients would have loved. To touch Jesus was their ambulance, air flight, urgent care, and ER rolled into one.

Jesus came so that we could have life, and that in the fullest. His mission was to take us from merely existing to a life with meaning and purpose. Jesus also taught us that this plane of existence is not the only reality. Jesus came from Heaven to teach us about Heaven. Jesus taught us about the supernatural, the unexplainable and that we are indeed, supernatural people. Reference this in John 3:16ff, Jesus tells Nicodemus that we "must be born from above." Only the spiritually alive can fully understand the movements of God in our midst. The real presence of Jesus in our lives can lead us to where others will soon ask why we are the way we are and even may ask how they can come to that same feeling.

Let us be people who seek the direction and leading of the Shepherd; those who come to more fuller trust in Him to provide and protect us.

PRAYER: Loving God, let our lives affirm the faith of David in his psalm and the healing available through Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. May You lead us to share where we might to those in need; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be one who shares about the wholeness to be found in Christ Jesus!

Receive my blessings of grace and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Friday Faith Feeding

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Dear Friend

What a week this has been for some, and not so bad for others. I pray that regardless of the expected, and unexpected, we expect the presence and peace of the Lord with us. I pray these readings help all of us with our state of mind. May it also remind us of the blessings that are ours when we make time to worship our Lord. Please be in prayer for your pastor(s) asking God bless them with the words that we need to hear. Please pray for me as on the 18th I will be preaching in my old stomping grounds, Corpus Christi at St. Luke's UMC, AND I will be honored to baptize our sixth grandson, Eli Ryan Munoz. Prayers for travels mercies for all who will be joining the family for this special day. I pray you all have a safe and blessed weekend!

Love you all,

Pastor Eradio

Passing on Small Change

The pharmacist handed me my prescription, apologized for the wait, and explained that his register had already closed. He asked if I would mind using the register at the front of the store.

I told him not to worry and walked up front, where one person was in line ahead of me, a little girl no more than seven, with a bottle of Children's Motrin on the counter. She clenched a little green and white striped coin purse closely to her chest.

The purse reminded me of the days when, as a child, I played dress-up in my grandma's closet. I'd march around the house in oversized clothes, drenched in costume jewelry and hats and scarves, talking "grownup talk" to anyone who would listen. I remembered the thrill one day when I gave a pretend dollar to someone, and he handed back some real coins for me to put into my special purse. "Keep the change!" he told me with a wink.

Now the clerk rang up the little girl's medicine, while she shakily pulled out a coupon, a dollar bill and some coins. I watched her blush as she tried to count her money, and I could see right away that she was about a dollar short. With a quick wink to the checker, I flipped a dollar bill onto the counter and signaled the clerk to ring up the sale. The child scooped her uncounted change into her coin purse, grabbed her package and scurried out the door.

As I headed to my car, I felt a tug on my shirt. There was the girl, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. She gave me a grin, wrapped her arms around my legs for a long moment then stretched out her little hand. It was full of coins. "Thank you," she whispered.

"That's okay," I answered. I flashed her a smile and winked, "Keep the change!"

By Nancy Mitchell

A Special Diet

A man returns from Africa feeling very ill. He visits his doctor, who immediately rushes the guy to the Mayo Clinic. The man wakes up to the ringing of a telephone in a stark room at the hospital and answers it.

"We've received the results from your tests," says the doctor on the other end of the line. "Bad news - you have Ebola."

"Oh, my God," cries the man. "Doc! What am I going to do?"

"Don't worry. First, we're going to put you on a diet of pizza, pancakes, and pita bread," says the doctor.

"Will that cure me?"

"No, but it's the only food we'll be able to get under the door."

The Father's Eyes

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played.

This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school.

But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play-off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent.

Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in."

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard!

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!"

Like the athlete's father, God is always there cheering for us. He's always reminding us to go on. He's even offering us His hand for He knows what is best and is willing to give us what we need and not simply what we want.

God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life is meaningful if lived for the Highest. Live for HIM for He's watching us in the game of life.

RIGHT NOW:

somebody is very proud of you.

somebody is thinking of you.

somebody is caring about you.

somebody misses you.

somebody wants to talk to you.

somebody wants to be with you.

somebody hopes you are not in trouble.

somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.

somebody wants to hold your hand.

somebody hopes everything turns out all right.

somebody wants you to be happy.

somebody want you to find him/her.

somebody wants to give you a gift.

somebody wants to hug you.

somebody thinks you ARE a gift.

somebody admires your strength.

somebody is thinking of you and smiling.

somebody wants to protect you.

somebody can't wait to see you.

somebody loves you for who you are.

somebody treasures your spirit.

somebody is glad that you are their friend.

somebody want to get to know you better.

somebody wants to be near you.

somebody wants you to know they are there for you.

somebody would do anything for you.

somebody want to share their dreams with you.

somebody is alive because of you.

somebody needs your support.

somebody will cry when they read this.

somebody needs you to have faith in them.

somebody trusts you.

somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THEY MATTER TO YOU.

~~Author Unknown~~

If you are a caterpillar, enjoy it. Eat all you can eat and love every bite. You will notice that very few creatures have as many feet. Because of your efforts and because it is your nature, you will be called by an inner voice to stop eating and build a retreat. This is when some caterpillars get into trouble. Some worry, become very anxious, and wonder if building a retreat is in their best interest. A few think they have lost their mind and keep eating. The rule is, be the best caterpillar you can be until you are called upon to be something different. Build the best retreat that has ever been built. You will spend a quite a bit of time in total darkness. A lot of changes will be taking place, but they are all for the best. In time, your retreat will become a pathway of light. For reasons that no one can explain, you will emerge from your retreat a completely new creature. You will have lost many of your feet and will have wings. Don’t judge the new you or try to return to habits of the past. Make the best of having wings. Experiment with them. Fly as high as you desire. You are---and have always been---whole, perfect, and complete. Some people spend their entire lives trying to be something they are not and could never be. They miss out on life’s greatest pleasures.

By Rev. Dr. Bob Luckin

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

Send this to every 'beautiful person' you wish to bless.

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Pass this message to people you want to Bless including me