When people look at me, they can see the face of my mother and my grandmother. The family resemblance is clear. In many ways, I am reflection of her. I hope that I am also a reflection of my Heavenly Father. I pray that by the way I live my life and by the actions that I take, people will also be able to see the love of God reflected in me.
The story of Lazarus offers comfort to all of those who mourn. We are all mourning something right now, but we will all get through this together. Although we cannot physically gather, I encourage you to lift your hearts with me every day in prayer for five minutes at five in the afternoon. The church is not a building, it is a people. Let us be a people united in prayer.
I'm putting all my social media skills to use for the Glory of God and the service of Church. I will be posting daily devotional videos. Some will be humorous, and others will be a bit more serious. Some will have special guests(filmed from a safe distance)and others will be just me. I hope they help provide you with comfort and a smile during this time.
Here are some ideas for simple and meaningful ways the church can support people with disabilities during these challenging times.
I am very honored to be the keynote speaker at the Disability Awareness Conference in Dover, DE on March 14th at Wyoming, UMC. I hope that you will join us!
Everhart offers hope to survivors as she declares that God is present with the violated and stands in solidarity with victims. Scriptural narratives like those of Tamar and Bathsheba carry powerful resonance in today's context, as do the accounts of Jesus' interactions with women.
Rev. Dorothy Nickel Friesen, an ordained Mennonite pastor, digs deep into the soul of a pastor with humor, pathos, and passion. Her memoir, a collection of short stories based on true events, visits the agony of bedside death, lost dreams, and angry parishioners who walk away from her leadership. She also shares the laugh-out-loud stories of weddings (a missing groom), rituals of deep meaning (with water from the Jordan River), and tension-filled advocacy for peace (on a military base).
Have you or a family member ever known the joy of a holding a newborn baby in your arms? Babies change our lives. One of my friends can vividly remember the day her son was born. “It was a long and painful process,” she said. “I had labor pains for three long, grueling days and the contractions were so brutal that I thought that I was going to die. I had never known such pain in all my life. But then, when they laid that my new son in my arms, my entire life changed. Up until that point, I had loved my son and anxiously awaited his arrival. But that moment, when I held him, I knew what true love was. Becoming a parent changes your life forever, and it has never been the same.”
This book considers the relationship between African American women and Mary of Nazareth. After examining the history of black American motherhood during slavery and beyond, this book then gives an overview of the existing views of Mary in both the church and the academy.
This post is part of the weekly series, "His Encouragement: Thursday Thoughts to Strengthen Your Soul." Image: A woman holds a cup of tea and reads her Bible. Black text on a green background reads, "Weekly Devotion: His Encouragement- Words from Scripture to Strengthen Your Soul." Bible Verse: For to us a child is born, to… Continue reading Giving Thanks & Reverse Advent Calendars! (His Encouragement)
