By Reverend Amanda, My sister-in-law Adrienne was in the Peace Corps and lived in Costa Rica for 2 years. So when looking into hospitality, I thought it was important to understand hospitality in different cultures. So I spoke with her about her experiences with hospitality in the very rural small village of Costa Rica she … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda Have you ever walked into a room full of people and felt like, “I really don’t belong here”? Or have gone out with a group of people and felt like the spare wheel? We all have felt out of place at some point in life. As a child, I always wanted to … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda, When I think of Jesus’ command to love others as he has loved us, I feel as if I somehow fall short. I feel like I always need redirection to remind me that I need to love first and judge later. Love was a lesson my mother spent many long days trying … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda Have any of you ever tended to animals or livestock? I know there are some people in the congregation who either grew up on or currently work on a farm. Tending to farm animals is incredibly time consuming, there are no vacations but it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. When my … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda The story of Thomas and the appearance of Christ post burial to the disciples in the upper room has always been particularly meaningful to me. The appearance of Christ at this point is pivotal for all of the disciples present in the upper room because without it we would not have the … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amada Over the years, I have studied the different Gospels’ versions of the resurrection. Traditionally, I love the account of Mark because of the haunting possibilities of the empty tomb. But for the past couple of years, I cannot get away from the image of Resurrection morning found in the Gospel of John. … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda What does it mean to be invited to join in the song? How many of you would be completely comfortable walking through the streets singing as loudly as you could? How many of you are even comfortable singing anywhere where others might hear you? I, too, had this fear as a much … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda I would be willing to bet that most of you remember the Y2K scare. I knew many people who were frightened about the apocalypse and the end of the world with Y2K. My grandmother was one of them. This was quite a few years before she moved in with us or before … [Read more…]
By Reverend Amanda On Monday, when the kids and I got home the first thing we did was empty lunchboxes and then we went on the playground. Those kids sleep so much better when they have had time to run. Maddie was playing on the rock-climbing wall and Isaac had found a stick and was … [Read more…]
by Reverend Amanda One of my aunts has a natural green thumb when it comes to plantings in her lawn. She knows just what to do to get a plant to grow. She knows the perfect placement for a plant in the yard based on what the sunlight needs are. She knows how to nurse … [Read more…]
