tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.comments2023-10-30T09:25:51.351-05:00Tommy O's BlogTommy Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028062236856181128noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-41851338827913040032019-12-22T12:18:36.045-06:002019-12-22T12:18:36.045-06:00hey tommy thanks for songshey tommy thanks for songsLemonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05206424240040726623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-30532915582700043832019-12-20T08:32:33.640-06:002019-12-20T08:32:33.640-06:00I like what you send because we a humans for get a...I like what you send because we a humans for get about this Christmas is really for we as humans lie to are kids about the prepuse of Christmas of why we truly celebrate. Not for presence but the gift of God to us.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15426893759100256212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-36935201794489992872019-11-14T07:37:38.608-06:002019-11-14T07:37:38.608-06:00Nice.Nice.Begoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00018762664089580512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-86066118132359757812019-07-25T09:35:57.379-05:002019-07-25T09:35:57.379-05:00Hello Pastor Tommy. I am also a Pastor from Mumbai...Hello Pastor Tommy. I am also a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you as a Pastor. I enjoyed going through your blog post with a very interesting and cathcy example which is so fitting to what Paul talks about put off and put on. I am likely to use this example attributing it to you. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I HAVE been in the PASTORAL miistry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. we also ancourge young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have young people from your church to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. lOOKING FORWARD to hear from you very soon. God;s richest blessings on you, your family and the ministry. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.Diwakarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04390632072287440950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-44389162391190354332018-12-29T07:45:01.659-06:002018-12-29T07:45:01.659-06:00I have not sung this song for a long time. No matt...I have not sung this song for a long time. No matter how many times I hear how much I am loved by The Father it never gets old to hear it. I sometimes need that constant reminder. Thank You for the reminder, now is one of those times I needed it. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10912367505418936232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-37221536194964440412018-08-02T14:48:13.016-05:002018-08-02T14:48:13.016-05:00thank you!thank you!Tommy Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17028062236856181128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-40919119683267483622018-03-29T21:56:43.422-05:002018-03-29T21:56:43.422-05:00Easter has been a symbol of hope for me. Hope of n...Easter has been a symbol of hope for me. Hope of new life. Hope for tomorrow's blessings. Hope that the people I love dearly will join me on this road to heaven. It's like shedding a cocoon from your body and realizing your a butterfly. Freedom to choose to bring honor and glory to the one man who paid the price for my sins. <br /> I was reminded that Jesus did every miracle here on earth as a man, not as God. Had he used any of his Godly powers it would have nullified what he did on the cross. <br /> He died a horrible death so that I could live. CeleUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10912367505418936232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-81530146527860023832017-03-09T08:12:04.779-06:002017-03-09T08:12:04.779-06:00Timely. Good story and guidance. Thank you. Philip...Timely. Good story and guidance. Thank you. PhilipAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-50459340723687024582016-12-15T07:16:27.207-06:002016-12-15T07:16:27.207-06:00Well said.Jesus' love in our hearts equips us ...Well said.Jesus' love in our hearts equips us to minister to the hurting and the hopeless. He has given me strength to carry on again and again and again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-55957596794282610642016-04-22T05:31:06.637-05:002016-04-22T05:31:06.637-05:00Thank you for writing this tribute to Gene. We me...Thank you for writing this tribute to Gene. We met him at Alpha (St. James/Bethel session). He became a wonderful mentor and friend. My husband was honored to later have Gene become his Godfather. We really miss Gene. Through him, we met Betty and continue to exchange cards with her. God blessed us by bringing Gene and Betty into our lives. Thanks again for sharing this message.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08925445836641107295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-71595979531047966782016-04-07T07:25:46.470-05:002016-04-07T07:25:46.470-05:00Very cool. Appropriate for where I am at.Very cool. Appropriate for where I am at.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04396527263151146512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-63612514523903371662014-11-13T06:02:31.909-06:002014-11-13T06:02:31.909-06:00Thanks for the memories. Actually, Cathy and I had...Thanks for the memories. Actually, Cathy and I had served at "Cherokee Sirloin Room's Annual Thanking Dinner"Tommy Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17028062236856181128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-15470206224704242192014-11-11T19:20:58.703-06:002014-11-11T19:20:58.703-06:00Pastor, I remember the skit you did a couple decad...Pastor, I remember the skit you did a couple decades ago where the setting was Denny's. Also the knowledge of how your family spent Thanksgiving at the Salvation Army assisting those receiving dinner. As much as I admire you for your consistent awareness of the poor, there is so much value in coming together with loving and caring family and friends during this holiday season. What I have found equally a blessing is to invite the lonely and outcasts to our gatherings, people who may not want just a meal but the feeling of belonging. I have never had much to offer, what I had, I just put out another plate at the table. It may not have been even as elaborate as Salvation Army, but the holiday season isn't about food anyway, but about Life, and that more abundantly.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-34598197936050559892014-11-03T15:30:40.408-06:002014-11-03T15:30:40.408-06:00I heard about this house, it was the talk of the t...I heard about this house, it was the talk of the town! But what I found interested is the wonderful grace you displayed in providing for this family. It sort of reminded me of Jesus' mother telling her son to do something for a wedding feast who ran out of wine. Who knows what this act of grace will open up for you?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-38496539322617086492014-08-25T10:10:01.122-05:002014-08-25T10:10:01.122-05:00When I was a missionary in Brazil, I had to shield...When I was a missionary in Brazil, I had to shield my sons' eyes as we were existing the bus we were on. The bus system is much like the "Green Line" on University Avenue, having their own path that runs center of the street, divided by a center walk path and barricades on each side of the two lane centerpiece from the other traffic. See, what had happened was an elderly woman was hit by one of the buses and was laid on the side of the bus path, no one caring for her body, no one seeing that her dignity remained intact. Buses continued to stop and go every 3 minutes just feet from where she lay, so as to keep the process of moving people from one location to another undisturbed. It was obvious that she had been dead quite a while already, as people passed by her without a blink in their eye. Though I wanted to assist, the person who was with us told me not to, that the police would take care of the body when it becomes convenient. I was horrified! When it becomes convenient? See, it is against their law to touch a body until the police is there, and they were taking their time to get there. Eventually, they did come, removed her body, and tracked down the driver of the bus who hit her. Six hours she laid on the side of the bus pass in over 110 degree heat; a very sad day for the humanity of the people. I only comment about this because I believe we are heading in that way of desensitizing our compassion as we move further away from the moral values we had when we were a Christian/Judeo nation to a secular/self-seeking society. Thank you for your weekly input, they are food for thought AND provide a source to keep us human.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-75591849210240327602014-08-18T09:55:26.916-05:002014-08-18T09:55:26.916-05:00I have noticed lately as my friends are getting ol...I have noticed lately as my friends are getting older (mind you, I still am only a few years out of High School) I often hear ourselves thank God for another day as each day becomes more and more cherished like a rare jewel. Knowing now that my life has gone like a wisp of the wind, I think I would have shed off the "weight" that had so easily beset me sooner. Now, is the day of salvation. Now, is the day to look forward and lay those days behind me. There is just not too many days left to make a difference, I hope I have 14,640 days to try.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-32432689681465094532014-06-11T10:51:36.013-05:002014-06-11T10:51:36.013-05:00Dear Pastor,
I know my opinion ages me because I ...Dear Pastor, <br />I know my opinion ages me because I do believe that in this age of Self-Actualizing, people, young people (those who are ten years younger than I) are no longer thinking about the consequences of their actions, only what seems right in their own eyes. Keep speaking out, keep doing the work of the Kingdom of God. You are making a difference, even if no one is listening. God hears, and He will act on your behalf for your faithfulness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-62834588265042709152014-03-24T11:39:42.700-05:002014-03-24T11:39:42.700-05:00I guess the visible illustration is that a little ...I guess the visible illustration is that a little kindness, a little cup of coffee, a little proactive reaching out to those around us is less costly than trying to heal a broken heart created because of Christian self- righteousness, demanding our will on others, or refusing to love one another like Christ loves us. If only. If only the Church was more interested in being the Church, perhaps, those who left the church because of our selfishness, would not be lost and bitter, because of the lack of humility and kindness by the Church, by those who thought they were saved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-32872148312793352932013-11-18T10:10:03.187-06:002013-11-18T10:10:03.187-06:00Great story! All of us who live in the Tundra fee...Great story! All of us who live in the Tundra feel your pain. Isn't it interesting that when God brings us through death defying events and live, that the reaction to a dead battery in comparison seems foolish? But, even better, when we look at issues from an eagle's point of view, problems seem so small. "They that what upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as the eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." I guess it is all depends where we are perched, on the mountaintop, or the chicken coop.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-20254662539715945402013-10-07T13:58:44.540-05:002013-10-07T13:58:44.540-05:00Dear Pastor, I think the hardest part of the Chri...Dear Pastor, I think the hardest part of the Christian walk is the waiting. Even Abraham had a hard time "waiting", he created an Ishmael in his impatience didn't he. Waiting requires a kind of trusting which means not moving from the position of faith even when that position is under attack constantly from the reasoning of man. This waiting upon the LORD, I believe, is a position of deep confidence in Yahweh's Character, His Attributes. Apart from understanding this, waiting upon the lord (a god apart of the God of the Bible) seems pointless. Another passage I have grappled with and have learned to appreciate is where Paul says that his body is decaying, but his spirit is being renewed daily. Yet, the God of the Bible is also the God who honors the man Caleb by giving him a mountain in his eighties, and brags that his strength is better than men in their forties. What am I saying? I'm saying this: Pastor Tom, I have always viewed you as a Caleb ready to scale a mountain (didn't you build a mountain at MOA anyway>). Intimacy does change, yes, with age; just like wine, it is good when you allow it to breathe. I'll be keeping you in my prayers, ~ you have a mountain to scale.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-71951001466406354062013-09-23T21:59:38.314-05:002013-09-23T21:59:38.314-05:00Dear Pastor, Very good comment! However, many of u...Dear Pastor, Very good comment! However, many of us DO realize that God loves us and is the Only One who is big enough to allow us to have do overs. It is the people and pastors in church who will not give people a second chance, nor a hand to pick oneself up; on the contrary, these very people put their proverbial foot on the neck in order to keep the wounded down. It is not God, but the people in church who is quick to speak, slow to listen, and quick to condemn. Yes, the church has fallen; but perhaps, the church should stay on the floor and humble ourselves before the Great I AM, and ask ourselves, is it I, Lord? Have I done such a thing to my brother?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-71033093434174746642013-02-11T14:34:44.796-06:002013-02-11T14:34:44.796-06:00Hockey Guy ~ Until your reputation is as bad as Ch...Hockey Guy ~ Until your reputation is as bad as Christ's, "a friend to drunkards and tax collectors, and sinners", being "hockey guy" is really not too bad of a legacy. Having that benign reputation gives you an edge, coming into people's lives under radar, theirs ~ and the devil's. Now that they know you are not some kind of religious guru, their defenses are down, their receptivity open. Stay real! Be you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-84944484180133495602012-12-21T23:26:26.434-06:002012-12-21T23:26:26.434-06:00Thanks, Tom, for sharing this very touching articl...Thanks, Tom, for sharing this very touching article. I always enjoy getting hugs from children every day in my work. This tragedy really brought it home to me as well as I imagined it happening at our school. Someone had broken into our school and stole three laptops two days before this happened. God is very gracious to us and He gives us the opportunity to be gracious to others.<br /><br />Blessings always,<br />Ken and SharonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-69413738465751325102012-11-05T09:26:16.682-06:002012-11-05T09:26:16.682-06:00I have been praying that we do not get what we des...I have been praying that we do not get what we deserve, but what we need. GOD. Redemptive history. Turning away from S.E.L.F. (Seeking Ego, Leaving Faith); and a turning toward G.R.A.C.E (God Richly Achieving Complete Excellence) in my life, in the Church, and yes, in this nation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909579468376062016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114034388867627685.post-3309166246544410972012-10-17T08:56:27.055-05:002012-10-17T08:56:27.055-05:00Pastor Tom,
She is a precious gem. Nice tribute.Pastor Tom,<br /><br />She is a precious gem. Nice tribute.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com