A Miracle

Do miracles really exist and if they do what really constitutes as a miracle? Does it have to be ordained as some large event that requires trumpets blowing and angels singing as the crowd looks on with shock? Is it required to only be performed from those beyond the physical body? If you answer yes to either of the last 2 questions then you may be in for real treat.

Miracles happen every moment of every day. Several of them are just taken for granted by us. They don't require parlor tricks or some spirit without a physical body to create them. You and I alone create miracles.

Every time that we give a coat to someone who does not have one we have given them a miracle. They didn't expect to receive a coat from us. They didn't ask us for it. We willing gave it and that is a miracle for them.

When driving through a fast food drive thru and asking to pay for the person behind you. Especially when you don't know who they are, that creates a miracle for them.

When we walk up to someone without and hand them money of any denomination, that is a miracle for them.

We look at miracles as being cured from blindness, disease, or being saved from a horrific car wreck. These are miracles from a Spirit beyond the physical body. What we do with each other without being asked or expected to is the true miracle that opens our own and touches others hearts.

My question...no challenge to you is, what miracle have you performed lately? It doesn't require money to perform miracles. Giving your time to someone else is the most precious gift ever.

You can read to the elderly. You can teach a child to read who has difficulty. You can listen to someone who just needs a shoulder to cry on. You can volunteer in a soup kitchen or other shelter. There are so many things that don't require money. Even finding something around your home that you no longer need or use and giving it to a needy is the beauty of a true miracle.

Whenever I see the look on their face, either shock, smile, or tears, that is the true meaning of a miracle for me. That touches and warms my heart and allows me to know that I'm doing what I should be doing, helping one another.

Please create a miracle for someone else today. We all have people in our areas that we can share with. Find them and give anyway you personally can. Money is never an issue, time is always free.

Yours In Faith,
Most Rev. Dr. Isaac L. Kramer, Ph.D. Meta

Salvation Army: Know the truth before you give.

It is that time of year where we begin to think about the Holiday shopping. Delightful sounds and smells will fill the air as we are engulfed in our surroundings of joy. We will be filled with the Holiday feelings of compassion for those who are without. Only finding ourselves turning to the mass collective of red buckets and bell ringers of the Salvation Army at the entrance of every store.

There are some things you should know before dropping even a penny into their hands.

1. The Salvation Army is a church, not just a charity organization. http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/B6F3F4DF3150F5B585257434004C177D?openDocument&charset=utf-8

2. Make sure your religious beliefs match up with theirs. For instance if you believe that homosexuality isn't a sin then the Salvation Army isn't for you. On their website under position statements they have a section designated to Homosexuality.

It reads, "The Salvation Army holds a positive view of human sexuality. Where a man and a woman love each other, sexual intimacy is understood as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the context of heterosexual marriage. However, in the Christian view, sexual intimacy is not essential to a healthy, full, and rich life. Apart from marriage, the scriptural standard is celibacy."

"Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage."

They do go on to say that their doors are open to all regardless of sexual orientation, but they will not currently support same-sex marriage.

3. Are you pro-choice? Well, The Salvation Army isn't.

"The Salvation Army deplores society's ready acceptance of abortion, which reflects insufficient concern for vulnerable persons, including the unborn. (Psalms 82:3-4)"

4. Are you for Marriage Equality?

"The Salvation Army affirms the New Testament standard of marriage, which is the loving union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. "

The Salvation Army is more then what most people realize they are. They are a church just like several others with their own views and beliefs. They may help those in need, but they have the power to discriminate just the same. I ask everyone who is considering on making a donation this year to fully look at who you are giving your money to. Do they fully represent your beliefs or does the charity happen to be at the right place at the right time? There is nothing wrong with taking information from the charity and doing your own research to make a healthy donation later. There should be no pressure to donate now to any reputable organizations.