Before We Had Faces

/ pastorpete51 / 12 Comments 
Before we had faces
And we had no voice at all
Then no one else could see us
 When we were small – small – small

God took the plans He’d made
And put them out to see
To show to all the pattern
He would use for you and me

Then stamped His image on our hearts
And signed the bottom line
So we would be delivered
Just exactly in His time!

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13 NIV

Before We Had Faces
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2022
All rights reserved


Beginning a New Year in Nursing Home Ministry

/ pastorpete51 / 10 Comments 
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance 
the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1 NIV

As we enter a New Year of nursing home ministry, filled with opportunities; challenges and unseen difficulties; I am tempted to sit down, draw up plans and set personal goals. The problem with that line of thinking is that it offers a temporary sense of peace while leaving out the most important thing, which is prayer. Prayer is like the way runners wait with both patience and hope for the starting gun to begin their race. As we spend time in prayer, God focuses our mind on His plans and purposes for the race that He has designed for us to run. He holds in His hands Heaven’ s starting gun, and it is He who will record our time at the finish line. He will be the judge of what matters because He is He is our life coach! So, let’s listen to His voice and wait eagerly for Him and remember that everything we do, say, or give begins with Him. We must go to Nursing Home, not just to make us feel better about ourselves, but to carry the message of the Hope of Jesus. He cares about the people who push their walkers or wheel through the halls, and He is sending us to be their neighbors. We each have different abilities, personalities, and weaknesses that God wants to use. He has better plans for how to reach people than we do. He has new and more creative ideas than we could ever come up with on our own. What we need to do is to wait for Him and listen for His starting gun. It is almost time for the race to begin. He promises that we will run without becoming weary if we wait for Him, and walk with Him, God assures us that He will light the path all through the year ahead.

Launching into the New Year

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 ESV

Every day is the day that the Lord has made, but I love the quote from the film “War Horse”, when young Albert is talking to his horse saying, “Now some days are big days, and some are small ones….Today is a big day, Joey!” Of course, every day is big, since it is one that God has miraculously given us to live. But tomorrow as we step into the New Year, that sense of bigness weighs more heavily in our minds. I suggest that rather than just going back to the gym, you might consider devoting more time to God each morning in Bible reading and prayer. “365 Days With Jesus” is a guide and a resource among many available to help you along that path. The link below is for the Kindle edition, the one above for the print. God bless, Happy New Year and “Go Penn State!”