If you were to ask a handful of persons where they most often experience the presence of God, they are likely to say in prayer, during worship, in personal moments of reflection and in nature.
A few months ago I suggested we have access to a spiritual treasure chest. I was referring to gifts we find because of our faith. At the time, we looked inside and found resilience.
How many times do you say, “I am just too busy?” Or “I don’t have enough time in my day to do…”
This summer, I had the opportunity to be the “story lady” for Vacation Bible School. The theme was related to the treasures we receive from God.
This summer, I had the opportunity to be the “story lady” for Vacation Bible School. The theme was related to the treasures we receive from God. The decorations made the church look like a tropical island and in my room we had an old open trunk with all kinds of treasures inside. This made more of an impression upon me than I first realized.
Just last week, my husband and I and some mutual friends spent three days at the ocean. We camped at Grayland Beach State Park
March 5 was the beginning of Lent. It marks the 40 days of reflection prior to Easter. In many churches it is celebrated with a simple evening meal on Wednesdays, followed by a time of reflection and a Scriptural devotion. During the last week prior to Easter, various church services mark the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem and his subsequent arrest, trial, crucifixion and, finally, his resurrection.
I recently performed a wedding ceremony for my second cousin and his fiancé. They had wished to marry well before this, but circumstances had prevented it.
The question of human suffering is an age old source of angst and reflection. Philosophers, theologians and a multitude of learned pastors and rabbis have tackled the problem of why we suffer when there is a loving God. I would not begin to offer any new or relevant thoughts on such a tough subject.
After many years of pondering grace, I have spent time thinking and reading about grace once again. Just now, reading the verse again, I see something else: in this translation, grace is not the gift from God, it is the gift of God.
Have you ever considered that we all have the same amount of time? Time, as we know it, is a human concept.
Sometimes I have to be reminded that God is present in my life every day and that he really does listen to me. This last week God hit me over the head with the proverbial two-by-four.
