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    Dr. Gary Nelson

    Dr. Gary Nelson

  • In Memory

    "...in memory of me." "Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.'" (Luke 22:19) As the saying goes, "X marks the spot." That's certainly the case in this situation. I had to walk into the middle of a busy street to get this shot, but something told me I just had to do it. I waited for the traffic light to change and ventured across to get the photo. I stood directly over the spot and took the picture. I guess it really doesn't make much sense unless I show you the X in context. ...

  • Your Value?

    "Aren't you worth much more than birds?""Look at the birds; they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?" (Matthew 6:26) How do you know you're valued? That's a question I always ask of couples that are coming to me for premarital counseling. I want to make sure they are aware of how important it is in relationships to feel that each of them is valued by the other. I know they're feeling valued at the moment or they probably wouldn't be asking me to marry them. ...

  • Strange and Terrifying Things

    "...strange and terrifying things..." " There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky." (Luke 21:11) Yesterday there were, in fact, many strange things coming from the sky in several parts of our country. For some, the sky was filled with threatening clouds, driving winds, pounding rain, and shredded debris. Apparently there are many today who are awakening to unbelievable devastation. ...

  • Tension

    "...it stood up straight..." "You blew on the sea and the water piled up high; it stood up straight like a wall..." (Exodus 15:8) Sometimes it's difficult for us to understand some of the miracles recorded in the Bible, like the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites as they fled from the Egyptians. Exodus records how God, "blew on the sea and the water piled up high; it stood up straight like a wall..." If we haven't seen it, if we can't comprehend it, we often tend to discount it. ...

  • Signals: What Are You Sending?

    What signals are you sending in relationships?

  • Like Puff of Wind

    "...like a puff of wind...""Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them; mere mortals, that you pay attention to us?We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow." (Psalm 144:3-4) "Lord, what are mortals...?" and "Lord, what is life...?" are questions that have been asked over and over for centuries and millenniums. In a recent internet article entitled, "Will Science Someday Rule Out the Possibility of God?" (Natialie Wolchover on LiveScience. ...

  • Failure Can Never Be Forgotten

    "...failure can never be forgotten." "The people of those cities ignored Wisdom and could not tell right from wrong. Not only that, but the remains of their cities still remind us of the foolish way they lived, so that their failure can never be forgotten." (Wisdom 10:8) (One of the books of the Apocrypha of the Old Testament) Not long ago Patti and I were hiking along a trail that paralleled the river on one side and an abandoned railroad track on the other. Up ahead we noticed some wreckage along the trail. ...

  • Without Any Hope

    "...without any hope..." "God said to me, "Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future... I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I have promised that I would do this-and I will. I, the Lord, have spoken." Ezekiel 11 & 14)On Monday I sat in the rotunda of our state capitol as the governor proclaimed this week as "Suicide Prevention Week" in West Virginia, coinciding with the national and international observances. ...

  • Entrust

    "...entrusted to your care." "Timothy, keep safe what has been entrusted to your care." (I Timothy 6:20)A few minutes ago I witnessed a very important moment in the lives of several children and their parents. I was standing at the door of our church's preschool, greeting the families as the children arrived for their very first day of the new school year. Some of the children went bursting into the classrooms with joyous expectation while others shuffled hesitantly some, very reluctantly. ...

  • Refresh!

    "I will refresh those who are weary..." "I will refresh those who are weary and will satisfy with food everyone who is weak from hunger." (Jeremiah 31:25)This past weekend we celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year with a community gathering at our church. The festivities included live bands, an inflatable for the kids, popcorn, and lemonade. However, I think the most popular spot at the event was the corner where the local ice cream dealer was handing out free ice cream cones. ...

  • How Clouds Float in the Sky

    "... how clouds float in the sky..." "Do you know how clouds float in the sky,the work of God's amazing skill?" (Job 37:16) How do planes stay in the sky? Regardless of the fact that we can explain it by airflow over wings and lift, I'm still amazed. Every time I get on a plane I look out over the wings. Forget needing a "bigger boat." I always feel like we need bigger wings if we're ever going to get that plane off the ground. I remember growing up in southwestern West Virginia and seeing very little in the sky above us except the things God had hung there like the stars and moon. ...

  • Hate

    "...the fires of their altars." "Do not worship the Lord your God in the way they worship their gods, for in the worship of their gods they do all the disgusting things that the Lord hates. They even sacrifice their children in the fires on their altars." (Deuteronomy 12:31)While recently driving through a very small town in West Virginia Patti and I came upon a group of burned-out buildings. Something about the starkness, disarray, and contrasts of burned wood and good wood caught my attention so I stopped to take pictures. ...

  • Caught in the Act

    "...caught in the very act..." "Teacher, they said to Jesus, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?" (John 8:4-5) Who, me? Busted - caught in the act - gotcha! No mistake about this mess, Pete was the one guilty of shredding a piece of styrofoam in the middle of the floor. He stole it from the basement as I was unpacking a box and dropped a piece of styrofoam packing on the floor. ...

  • Melting Rocks

    "...changes rocks into pools of water...""Tremble, earth, at the Lord's coming, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who changes rocks into pools of water and solid cliffs into flowing springs." (Psalm 114:7-8)When we think of rocks we think of strength, something so strong that we can use them for foundations of homes and skyscrapers. As I watched the waves pound these rocks on the coast of Maine I was reminded that the rocks were once part of the cliff where I was standing. With time and great power the waves and wind had whittled away at the cliff leaving rocks scattered along the way. ...

  • Wander Off the Road

    "...wander off the road..." "If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying,Here is the road. Follow it." (Isaiah 30:21)I guess there's no question why they call this Grandview National Park. We stopped at the overlook last week while we were visiting the park with some friends to see the show, Hatfields and McCoys. Looking at the photo you'll see the railroad track that runs by the river. ...

  • American Restoration

    "...you restored my life." "I cried to you for help, O Lord my God, and you healed me; you kept me from the grave. I was on my way to the depths below,but you restored my life." (Psalm 30:2-3)I'm really relieved! I drove by a local lawn and garden store today where Babe and Paul Bunyon make their home. I was delighted to see that Babe had been restored to his rightful place after having been blown down a couple of terraces by one of the severe recent storms. ...

  • A Hiding Place

    You are my hiding place... "You are my hiding place; you will save me from trouble. I sing aloud of your salvation, because you protect me." (Psalm 32:7)A few weeks ago our neighbors went away on vacation so their grass grew a little taller than normal. When they returned and mowed the front lawn they discovered a mother rabbit had used their absence and tall grass as an opportunity to build a nest in a small hollow. Fortunately the hollow was deep enough that the baby rabbits were exposed but not harmed by the mower. ...

  • Oppressed

    "...help those who are oppressed..." "Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil and learn to do right. See that justice is done-help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows." (Isaiah 1:16-17)Since last Friday I've been keenly aware of the "have's" and "have not's." Everywhere people are gathered folks can be heard asking one another,"Do you have power?" The violent storm that raged through the area Friday evening left unbelievable devastation in its wake. ...

  • New Thing

    "Watch for the new thing...""Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already-you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there." (Isaiah 43:19)So what now? Ever have that feeling? This is one of the last of way too many boxes that I've taped and opened to prepare for filling. With each one I've had that same thought - "So what now?" The emptiness of the boxes reminds me of the unknown we face each time we make a transition. I'm writing this as I spend the last few hours as pastor of Sand Hill United Methodist Church. ...

  • Listening and Respect

    "...be eager to show respect..." "Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another." (Romans 12:10)It all began with a simple question I posed to the lobsterman whose home I was visiting. "Would you mind if I took a picture of your stack of buoys?' He and his wife were hosting a birthday party for a friend of ours, but I had never met the couple before pulling into their driveway. "Why sure," the salty fisherman answered. ...