Central Baptist Church of Westerly
16 Elm Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Phone: (401) 596-4929
Check out our blog at Central Baptist Life
16 Elm Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Phone: (401) 596-4929
Check out our blog at Central Baptist Life
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Keep your eyes on Jesus
November 20, 2019
Dear Friends,
I was on my way to New York City to go to a conference
last weekend. I needed a coffee and decided to stop at
Dunkin' Donuts. Now visiting a doughnut shop is
dangerous for a guy who is always watching his weight.
What's worse was the fact that I was in the mood for
something sweet.
As I looked at the offerings, I fought off the temptation
to grab a double chocolate glazed treat. I decided I'd
stick to the plan. I was going to get my hot coffee. Then
I looked at the menu board. Suddenly a warm feeling
came over me. Before I knew what was happening, I
ordered a Coffee Coolata with just a bit of whipped
cream.
I fell in love with the Coolatas back in the Spring of
2011. That's the year I began my ministry in Westerly.
As I drove back and forth on Route 2, I would often
stop at Dunkin' on the way. I'd treat myself to one of
these special frozen coffees. I couldn't figure out how
a coffee drink could taste so good by just adding a bit
of whipped cream.
I figured frozen coffee couldn't be that bad for you. So
I drank those Coolatas all summer long. A strange
thing happened. By the end of summer I noticed that
all my pants were getting a little tight around the waist.
It didn't make sense. I was a lifetime Weight Watcher.
I'm always counting points. I rarely went over my daily
allotment.
I mentioned it to Priscilla, my Weight Watcher leader
at the time. She laughed out loud. She said, "How many
points are you counting for that drink?" I told her I was
counting it like a black coffee and adding zero points.
She said, "Look it up." I was shocked. It was 25 points
without the whipped cream. Suddenly it all made sense!
Little mistakes or oversights can add up. It doesn't take
much for us to get off course. Just ask a boater. While
out on the Watch Hill Fire rescue boat last summer, one
of the department members told me that a few degrees
here or there could end up causing our ship to run
aground. You have to be alert and keep your eyes open.
Life is filled with detours that distract us and lead us
into uncharted waters. Most of the time we don't even
realize we are in danger. We just do what we do, like I
did with the Coolatas. It is the little things that often
lead us astray. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We
need to listen to the sound of his voice.
That what the Apostle Peter did when he got out of the
boat and began doing the impossible, walking on water.
The truth is that amazing things happen when we walk
with Jesus. We do far more than we think we are capable
of. Even more, he will never lead us astray or let us go
off course. So keep the faith. Follow Jesus. Be blessed!
See you in church.
Cal
November 20, 2019
Dear Friends,
I was on my way to New York City to go to a conference
last weekend. I needed a coffee and decided to stop at
Dunkin' Donuts. Now visiting a doughnut shop is
dangerous for a guy who is always watching his weight.
What's worse was the fact that I was in the mood for
something sweet.
As I looked at the offerings, I fought off the temptation
to grab a double chocolate glazed treat. I decided I'd
stick to the plan. I was going to get my hot coffee. Then
I looked at the menu board. Suddenly a warm feeling
came over me. Before I knew what was happening, I
ordered a Coffee Coolata with just a bit of whipped
cream.
I fell in love with the Coolatas back in the Spring of
2011. That's the year I began my ministry in Westerly.
As I drove back and forth on Route 2, I would often
stop at Dunkin' on the way. I'd treat myself to one of
these special frozen coffees. I couldn't figure out how
a coffee drink could taste so good by just adding a bit
of whipped cream.
I figured frozen coffee couldn't be that bad for you. So
I drank those Coolatas all summer long. A strange
thing happened. By the end of summer I noticed that
all my pants were getting a little tight around the waist.
It didn't make sense. I was a lifetime Weight Watcher.
I'm always counting points. I rarely went over my daily
allotment.
I mentioned it to Priscilla, my Weight Watcher leader
at the time. She laughed out loud. She said, "How many
points are you counting for that drink?" I told her I was
counting it like a black coffee and adding zero points.
She said, "Look it up." I was shocked. It was 25 points
without the whipped cream. Suddenly it all made sense!
Little mistakes or oversights can add up. It doesn't take
much for us to get off course. Just ask a boater. While
out on the Watch Hill Fire rescue boat last summer, one
of the department members told me that a few degrees
here or there could end up causing our ship to run
aground. You have to be alert and keep your eyes open.
Life is filled with detours that distract us and lead us
into uncharted waters. Most of the time we don't even
realize we are in danger. We just do what we do, like I
did with the Coolatas. It is the little things that often
lead us astray. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We
need to listen to the sound of his voice.
That what the Apostle Peter did when he got out of the
boat and began doing the impossible, walking on water.
The truth is that amazing things happen when we walk
with Jesus. We do far more than we think we are capable
of. Even more, he will never lead us astray or let us go
off course. So keep the faith. Follow Jesus. Be blessed!
See you in church.
Cal
| Pastor Cal Lord's Weekly Epistle |
| Pastor Cal's Weekly Epistle Every week Pastor Cal writes a weekly column for the Spirit Page of the Norwich Bulletin. He also sends it out to members and friends of the church via e-mail. E-mail him at calstigers@gmail.com if you want to be added to the weekly list. |
| Pastor Cal's Archived Epistles |