Sunday, July 20, 2008

MT 13:1 - 23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.


“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

Hello everyone. Just stopping by to say happy 4th of July! I always loved this holiday. There are always barbeque's and fire work displays. Growing up this was always a holiday where I was with family. Of course at this time most of my family is scattered. My brother in San Antonio, my father in Huntsville and my mother practically across the globe from us all at this time. I am down here in South Florida with my in laws and an overly anxious dog when it comes to fireworks and thunderstorms. Needless to say it makes the summer a headache here.

But regardless I think it is good to remember what makes this country great and to remember that patriotism is still a good thing when you are from a great country where there is reason to be proud. The 4th of July is to celebrate the freedom from Britain and the end of our fight for independence. Strangely enough I believe that this entire fight started from unfair taxation and it also crazy to think of the progress this nation has gone through since its start. We expanded all the way from the east to the west and we became an incredibly powerful country. Some seem ashamed about this power. I think it is better to be one of the powerful than to be one on the other side. It isn't like the American People didn't work hard to get to that place. I believe next to Japan we probably have one the most competitive countries when it comes to work and growth. Where else can people advance from rags to riches. We all have the ability to advance to incredible positions. I believe that is something great about this country that we should always fight to maintain. The freedom to pursue happiness.

Well, I am going to try and enjoy the holiday. It is great looking back and seeing pictures from 4th of July since I started this. There sure have been many changes. Hope to keep it going for awhile longer....