The Morning Offering

A Good Place

Blessing the campus of Pacific Lutheran University

Keeping one's mind and heart in a good place

Walking through life with a smile on your face and a song in your heart is the best way to keep your mind and heart in a good place. Life has many turns and many trials, but when you keep centered on all the good that is in your life, the trials are short lived. Smiles are contagious. Ever notice how a room brightens up when someone walks in who is always smiling, always happy, always extending a warm greeting to others? What better gift can you give another, than a sincere smile.

I remember finding a young man sitting on a log, deep in an Oregon forest, many years ago, while hiking on a trail. The trail head was some four miles from that spot, and I was somewhat surprised to find another person, alone, that far into the forest (I'd thought I was the only one who loved to hike alone). He was deep in thought, so I apologized for startling him. I commented on the beauty of God's creation and asked if he'd like to share a sandwich and some coffee. Sitting down on the log next to him, I opened my backpack, and handed him half of my lunch.

A few moments passed when he turned to me, showed me a revolver, and told me he'd come to this remote spot with the intent of killing himself. When he saw me appear with a long beard, long hair, and dressed in my long black robe, he'd first thought I might be an angel, sent by God. He'd been praying that God would forgive him for what he was about to do. I assured him that I was indeed flesh and blood, and no angel. But I also told him that I was sent by God with a message. The message from God was that he was loved, and that God had a plan for his life, and this period of despair would soon pass.

He handed me his revolver, which I placed in my backpack, and we had a long conversation about his life. Eventually we walked together back to our vehicles. With the promise that he would return the revolver to his father's desk drawer, I handed him the gun, and we parted ways. 

I've long wondered about the direction his life must have taken after that encounter in the forest, so very many years ago. I've also wondered what may have happened if I'd continued on that trail without stopping to greet him, without offering a smile and a shared sandwich.

To this day I feel blessed that God allowed me to be His messenger on that lonely trail, and I try to be available each and every day as His messenger. When we make a concerted effort to be centered in Christ, each and every day, each and every hour, we make way for a heart and mind that is always in a good place, and we allow the love of Christ to be seen and experienced by others. When we put aside ourselves and put on Christ, we become God's messengers.

Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Tuesday January 3, 2012 / December 21, 2012

30^th Week after Pentecost. Tone four.
Nativity Fast. Food without Oil

Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Virgin-martyr Juliana of Nicomedia, and with her 500 men and 130 women (304).
Repose of St. Peter, metropolitan of All Russia (1326).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Sergius deacon (1937).
New Hieromartyr Nicetas bishop of Belevsk (1938).
New Hieromartyr Leontius deacon (1940).
St. Juliana, princess of Vyazma (1406).
Blessed Procopius of Vyatka, fool-for-Christ (1677).
St. Philaret (Theodosius in schema), metropolitan of Kiev (1857).
Martyr Theomistocles of Myra in Lycia (251).
St. Macarius the Faster, Abbot of the Khakhuli Monastery (11th c.).
Finding of the relicts (1950) of New Monk-martyr Ephraim of Nea Makri (1426).



I wish to thank those of you who have been contributing towards the principle of our mortgage ($250,000.00). For those of you who can't donate due to the depressed economy, please remember to pray for the monastery. It would be such a great blessing if we were able to retire the mortgage debt altogether.

Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:

All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA

  

Hebrews 9:8-10

 

⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— ¹⁰ concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

Hebrews 9:15-23

 

¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Mark 10:2-12

 

² The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
³ And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
⁵ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. ⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
¹⁰ In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹ So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹² And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morningoffering

The PodCast is always different than the blog article.