In Matthew chapter 6 and Luke chapter 11, Jesus instructs the disciples on how to pray what we now call the Lord’s Prayer. This is considered the model for how we all should pray. In this prayer we affirm who God is, ask for forgiveness, request what we need for daily living, and pray for … Continue reading
A 2017 Update to last year’s post about devotional materials for busy people. Today I want to share some things that help me to draw closer to God in the midst of my schedule. I am a parent of two teenagers, grad student, blogger, and church staff person. I often find myself with 10 … Continue reading
Given the tragic news stories of ongoing war and of 40,000 civilians who are trapped in Aleppo, I decided to re-share a prayer and learning activity I created for a multi-church youth event last February. In this activity, each participant follows a path, learning about the crisis, viewing striking images, stopping to pray, and leaving the paper … Continue reading
In past years, I have known what has been growing in Advent’s womb. My relationship with Brian began on Thanksgiving day. By Christmas we were talking marriage. Together we have felt our own babies’ kicks during Advent, twice. We have prepared for new homes. We have learned traditions in a new country. New ministries and … Continue reading
Some thoughts on what it is like to pray for children and youth in the first weeks at a new church. Continue reading
May the children be well fed and rested, their brains ready to learn, their hearts filled with hugs, their backpacks brimming with school supplies and healthy lunches. May they have a hand to hold as they walk to school or to the corner for the bus. May their teachers be eager, excited, compensated well and … Continue reading
As a young child in a small town, the only preschool was at my church. I remember bits and scraps, especially the melamine lunch trays served in fellowship hall. The vegetable compartment was always filled with a canned vegetable – spinach, beets, green beans. Growing up on a farm, factory canned vegetables were not something … Continue reading
