Now there may not be too many of us who have experienced adult baptism, or can even say that they remember their baptisms. My first baptism happened when I was 5 months old and recovering from chicken pox. I have no memory of my first baptism. My second baptism was done by the same clergy … [Read more…]
Last week, we discussed remaining hopeful and using our life experiences for the work of God no matter how challenging they may be. However, I understand that is easier said than done. Paul and Silas make it look so easy to just pray and sing and remain hopeful amid beatings, slander, imprisonment, and possible death. … [Read more…]
I had a close friend in seminary that was going through some challenging times in her life shortly before entering seminary. In one year, she and her husband lost everything they had in a fire, her dad died, and she lost her job. Anybody experiencing what she did would have been more than a little … [Read more…]
As a teenager, my favorite past time was talking on the phone with my friends. The worst punishment for me, at that age, was to ground me from the telephone. It was my connection to the outside world. It allowed me to find out what was going on in the group’s gossip, to discuss the … [Read more…]
When I was a child, my brothers used to get together with some of our cousins to go to one of the family fields to play baseball, or to go camping, or to go help my father and uncles in the wood lot, or to go fishing. I remember that I always wanted to go … [Read more…]
When I was 10 years old, all my friends were getting braces except for me. I wanted to be just like my friends. I didn’t want to stand out in any way. I remember praying to God that I would get braces like my friends. I prayed that I could be just like them. I … [Read more…]
The greatest thing that anyone can do in life is to do something kind for someone else. We have probably all experienced the healing powers of the kindness of family and strangers. This past week, I was at the grocery store picking up a few things. I thought that I really didn’t even need a … [Read more…]
The easiest time to have faith is when life is going as we would like it to go when everyone is healthy, happy, and we are successful. This is when we feel the graces of God the strongest. The hardest time to have faith is when everything is going wrong and life is just one … [Read more…]
What makes you energetic? What brings you joy? What are you passionate about? These are the questions of Pentecost. These are the source of not only our inspiration in life but what we are willing to devote precious time and energy to. So let me share with you my passions, my joys, and what gives … [Read more…]
I always find stories of radical compassion, love, care and giving to be so inspirational. They are a reminder to me that God calls us to more in life then to be worrying about ourselves. They remind me that God’s care is so great for me and all of humanity and life that he watches … [Read more…]
