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​             Pastor Jeff's Blog

Pastor Jeff's Reflections . . . from a social distance

Word games . . .

6/17/2020

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There are many single words that could describe me: Daddy, pastor, chaplain, divorced, volunteer, son, sinner, short, only-child, semi-athletic, redeemed, funny, compassionate, and the list could go on. Although each of those words describe some aspect or characteristic of who I am, no single word defines me; and in reality, it is God alone who defines me.
​
If you have read my blogs lately, then you will notice that I have been doing a lot of reflecting on life. What our identity is as humans is so much a part of who we are . . . in fact, it is everything we are. (I don’t think that Yogi Berra could have said that any better.)
 
Who Am I? Who are you? We are God’s loved children. Most of the time we know this truth: that we are God's loved children. Nevertheless, what happens much more often is that many of us forget to believe that we are God's loved children . . . a disconnect, perhaps, of the head and the heart.
 
What does it mean for us to be loved by God? As I was talking to a friend this week, I found myself saying these words: "fear has the ability to create change in people's lives for brief moments in time, but the only thing that I have ever known that can transform the entirety of a person's life is love". God loves us into complete transformation. 
 
So, you’ve discovered you are not perfect. That’s great, now come and join the rest of us. This life – getting back to my ponderings on identity – is not about who we are at any given moment. Even from our faith’s earliest beginnings, God has always entrusted the most rag-tag group of underdogs with his glorious mission . . . groups like us. And through them – and us – following Christ’s lead, God’s love continues to transform this world. Our identify lies not with who we perceive we are, but with the ongoing creatively imaginative work of God’s love that is actively transforming us into the people that God has created us to be.
 
We continue to be God’s canvas, works of art in progress – being transformed into beauty beyond measure. But always remember this truth, even before the artwork is finished God is able to look upon us and say, you are very good. We have already received God’s stamp of approval.


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Life . . . enjoy what God makes of it.

6/13/2020

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​Yesterday – June 9th – I celebrated 37 years of life. And before I make any additional comments or ramblings, I want to say thank you to everyone for all of my happy birthday wishes. 
Birthdays inevitably provide one an opportunity to reflect on life . . . successes, accomplishments, failures, growing edges, mistakes, joys, investments, legacies, fears, struggles and triumphs are all part of it. According to Macrotrends, the life expectancy for Americans in 1983 (my birth year) was 74 years. If this holds true, it means I have reached somewhere near the halfway point in life; I may have lived and experienced half of my life.
Such insight might cause some people to worry or become anxious, realizing that they are now closer to the event of their death than they are to the event of their birth. However, if one truly seeks to take things a day at a time, then one can enjoy each individual day on its own terms and merits.
Nonetheless, these realizations have thrust me into a pile of pensive ponderings. I will share a few.
  • My mistakes do not define me, nor do yours define you . . .
I have made more than my fair share mistakes and poor choices in life. It’s only human nature to wish that I could “go back” and change many of those, and I am sorry for the unnecessary hurt and pain that I caused along the way. However, none of us are our mistakes. We are redeemed by the grace of God (on God’s terms and timetable, not ours). We are God’s children and therein lies our identity. Learn from your mistakes, make amends where possible, accepts God’s Grace and forgiveness, recognize your identity as a loved child of God, and keep being an active participant in God’s plan for your life.
  • God still has plans for you . . .
No matter your age or life stage; God is still actively at work in your life. Sometimes this activity is hard to see. Sometimes it goes unnoticed by us. Nevertheless, that does not change the fact that God is actively at work in your life. We are given the high purpose of being a part of God‘s redeeming work in this world and it’s one of the greatest opportunities we will ever have.
  • Try not to worry about tomorrow . . .
Simply try to make the most of what God has in store for you this day.
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Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution . . .

6/5/2020

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Any honest assessment of the landscape of our country leads us to understand that we are once again torn by the existence and perpetuation of injustice, inequality and racism. I am admittedly no expert in any of these issues. But it is time for all Christians to actively stand against inequality, injustice, and racism in our communities. These are huge issues and huge problems. I am not one to say that I have the solution for the problems that exist. Nevertheless, we can all be part of the solution. I want to encourage each of you to decide to be a part of the solution. Do your own self-evaluation and determine what racial tendencies that you hide unconsciously or express overtly. Become more self-aware of those, if you struggle to see those then ask others to help you see the areas that you are blind to. Covenant to weed out those places in your own heart. And seek to actively become part of the solution. When racism and Injustice exist in our world there is no being neutral or standing on the sidelines. If we are not actively engaging in being part of the solution, then we are by default becoming part of the problem. As Christians we must realize and actively represent that we are all God's children. God made us each and every one. We are all loved by our creator without prejudice or favoritism. And as Christians we must reflect the love of our creator and acknowledge that we are all created in His image. Our diversity does not need to be a cause of fear but a reason for celebration, because it is through our diversity that we are able to more fully realize what it means for us to become the beautiful body of Christ.
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    About Pastor Jeff:

       Pastor Jeff Howard began his journey at Woodland Forest Church as Interim Pastor in the summer of 2017.  In January 2018, he was called by the church family to become our Pastor.
       Pastor Jeff lives in Birmingham, AL.  He enjoys spending quality  time with his family, playing outside, hiking, playing card and board games, listening to music, and watching movies.  
       Pastor Jeff has over 10 years of experience pastoring diverse church congregations.  He was ordained at Shades Crest Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, and received his Master of Divinity from McAfee School of Theology.  

    You can reach Pastor Jeff by email at jeffhoward100@gmail.com

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