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Jesus is Always the Punch Line

Posted on September 5, 2023September 5, 2023 by Pam

A dear friend just sent me a recent speech from Pope Francis. She meant for me to be encouraged as it encouraged her. Kudos for lovers of people who reach out to share encouragement. I’m wondering if I am in a bad mood because the content did quite the opposite. I read waiting for the punch line that never came. Am I getting preachy where nothing is good enough unless Jesus is glorified – especially from the leader of the Catholic (universal) Church?

Pope Francis is a cheerleader for joy. God was mentioned once in this piece and Jesus never. How is this leading any Church? There were platitudes about being forgiving, and thankful and for hugging our people. I missed a recommendation for whether we should hug the “others”? There was nothing about when we fail in the above (and we all do) and of the mercy of Jesus. No salvation or hope beyond being happy. There is so much in scripture about passing on our blessings to others. God sees us so we see others. The “them” are lost whether or not I hug them unless I share my hope in Jesus. Jesus is always the punch line. Does not Pope Francis know that or did someone, who does not know, help him write this very beautiful piece that left me empty?

I think this feel-good message is a distraction from the truth the Pope should be sharing. Jesus is the crucial element God’s apex. How do we answer the hardest questions without Jesus? Jesus is God’s glory and the point of the entire Old and New Testaments. Be as happy as you can but do not sin by denying the power of the gospel – a new and happier you. He is the beginning and the end of the story. How about this prescription for happiness instead…Isaiah 119:1,

Happy are the people who walk with integrity, who live according to the teachings of the Eternal. – Psalm 119:1, The Voice

"Thoughts from a genuinely evaluative mind."

Pam writes so that must make her a writer. Recently retired, she can now fill days with family, friends, missions, writing, creating, and showing up for whomever needs her. Pam loves the Lord and people. The Bible is God’s love letter to us (and who does not need more love) so she studies and writes some more.

Pam lives in the Pacific Northwest but was home-grown in Southern California. She attended San Jose Bible College and finished a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry at UCLA. She became a teacher, then a Research and Development Chemist, then she built two successful real estate businesses in two states. Pam also pursued study at Fuller Theological Seminary and just completed six months serving in missions abroad.

Pam has two amazing children, married to two precious in-laws, and five sweet grandchildren. Pam is a gifted connector and communicator and the Northwest has the perfect climate for staying inside and writing – or baking! She has been writing since a wee one and is currently converting many years of blogging, by topic, into ten books. The first is a collection from 2011 titled, Beautiful Enough. The second is a yearly day-timer titled, Weekly Planner - Lessons in Life, Glory, and Grace. Number three is in progress with the working title, Christmas Today.

Ten facts about Pam in no particular order:

  1. On the team that developed an insulation for the Alaskan oil pipeline.
  2. Loves looking at homes, decorating, and has flipped five homes.
  3. Likes being tall.
  4. Films have helped define her vocabulary.
  5. Comes from Colorado tenement farmers with history traced to Wales.
  6. Was lost but now is found.
  7. Baking makes her happy – as does eating sweets with coffee, of course.
  8. She thinks mission work is the most important work in the world.
  9. The church started in Rome so she is learning Italian.
  10. Pam is a work in progress!

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4

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