March 24, 2023

Come Follow Me

Read: UMH 206 "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"

It is a well-known story. Jesus, following his temptation in the wilderness and walking along the shore of the Galilean lake, called to two fishermen, brothers Simon and Andrew. "Come with me, and I will make you fish for people.” Continuing along the shore, Jesus called two more disciples, brothers James and John, also fishermen. I clearly remember, as a youngster in Sunday School, how enthusiastically we sang the children's song "I Will Make You Fishers of Men," as well as “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” The meaning of these two Sunday School songs has remained with me all my life. I think of them often, which leads me to the present day and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ here and now.

We as Christians follow in Jesus' footsteps, and pattern our lives after his. Discipleship takes specific forms according to the work each has been asked to do. This work goes on all the time and everywhere. Jesus was a teacher of God, not a teacher of the world's values. And so, his disciples are also teachers of God. One might ask, "Who are they?" I have every confidence that a teacher of God is anyone who chooses to be one – the sole qualification. Jesus did not seek only holy persons, but called ordinary folk out making a living, including a despised tax collector. Contemporary disciples come from all over the world and from every walk of life. Somehow, somewhere, they saw a light in the darkness. Further, they decided that the well-being of others was not apart from their own. The world's belief system, founded on the idea of separation (and consequent separate interests), does not honor or even acknowledge the oneness of God's creation and the fact that God is not absent from any aspect of it.

A few characteristics of God's teachers are faithfulness and trust, open-mindedness, tolerance, forgiveness, generosity, and the joy of knowing who and Whose we are. Only false beliefs about ourselves assert that we have no role to play in God's plan.

Jesus, referring to himself, said: "While I am in the world I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). And in the Sermon on the Mount he tells us: "You are the light of the world.” In Ephesians 5 we read: "Live as children of light, since light produces everything that is good and righteous and true." And from 1 Thessalonians 5: "You are all children of light, children of day. We do not belong to night or darkness." In order to see clearly we must realize that light is within us, not without. It is what makes spiritual vision possible, and this is what will guide us as we take our place among the followers of Jesus Christ. This vision will correct the perception of everything and everyone we see, looking past all illusions, which are unknown in Heaven. Let us not forget this foundational truth: "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, then we share a common life" (1 John 1). This light attracts as nothing of the world can.

So for this Lenten journey and all the days beyond, may we be blessed in all our doings. God turns to us to help save a weary and worn world. For this world indeed stands in need of grace, and awaits the blessing we bring from Him. His Voice is heard around the world as we choose to be the means to bring it. Would we not do this for Jesus' sake, and for our own? Let the light of holiness be our constant guide, and the strength of Christ will prevail in all we think and say and do. "Choose this day whom you will serve... as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

Prayer: Dear God, Creator and Sustainer eternal, our beloved Lord Jesus, through his supreme example in times long past, revealed the way to serve you. The need seems even greater in this age. The call to serve has never ceased. We trust our ways to You, and ask Your will in everything we do. We are Your completion and your love. And so, with grateful hearts, we can but say "Amen."

Doug Dykstra

March 23, 2023

A Blessing from God

"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other."
1 John 4:11

Lynn and I were blessed to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary last year. Thanks to our sneaky family and friends, we got to celebrate with them at a surprise anniversary party. And I thought I was just going to enjoy a barbecued rib dinner at a friend’s house.

I thank God every day for my family and my friends, including my church family. Good times or bad, high times or low, it a blessing to know they’ve “got my back.”

It occurred to me that in the same way we celebrated our marriage, amid loving family and friends, we got to share our 50th anniversary amid loving family and friends. We reminisced and got to share a very nice PowerPoint presentation (gotta love shag carpets, harvest gold, and avocado green, right?) prepared by, you guessed it, family and friends. (Where did they dig up those old pictures?)

Friends and families are blessing from God, and I am more than grateful for those in my life.

Fred Van de Putte

March 22, 2023

God Will Help You

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
 He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
 He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. - Psalm 34: 17-18

When I was 24 years old, my 21-year-old brother died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition. His death was the most horrific and indescribable thing I can imagine, and the grief I felt was all-consuming and overwhelming. He was my best friend, and I didn’t think I could go on without him.

I was broken-hearted, and indeed my spirit was crushed. I was struggling to make sense of it, but over time I began to understand that Chip’s passing meant that I needed to live my life to the fullest, and live a life that he would be proud of.

I asked God for help, and as time passed he strengthened me to take up the mantle and help others and not waste a minute of time I’m given.

Even though it may seem like God sometimes isn’t listening, if you live a life full of meaning and compassion and righteousness, God will rescue your spirit and help you make it through.

David Switzer

March 21, 2023

“I Can Still Have Hope”

2 Corinthians: 5-7 — For we walk by faith, not by sight.

In October, one of the “boys” who grew up across the street from us suffered a massive stroke. Andrew is 33 years old with no history of health problems until this very unexpected event. His parents, Kathy and Jim, upended their lives here in Grosse Pointe to be with him in Washington, DC, and support him through the early part of his recovery.

Kathy and Jim are a faith-filled couple who have long been an exemplary model of what it means to “live and love like Jesus.” Their frequent postings on Caring Bridge have shared Andrew’s journey with friends, family, and neighbors. Each message has become like a small devotion for me. Kathy, who is a registered nurse, does most of the writing, and she presents a pretty straight-forward assessment of Andrew’s challenges and progress.

While she is honest about the struggles and the long and difficult journey that remains, she is not wallowing in the uncertainty that they are facing. There’s been no “woe is me, my life is so hard.” Instead, each message has been filled with gratitude and optimism, even joy. She has shared the joy of Andrew’s first steps on a treadmill, discovering new ways to communicate, walking through a park on a sunny day, meeting other individuals with aphasia and learning how they have adapted to this new life.

As Kathy said so eloquently in one of her postings: Even though my questions may not have answers, I can still have hope.

In the midst of the most significant crisis in their lives, this family is finding happiness. They are focusing on small bits of improvement and embracing this opportunity to spend time with each other and to support a loved one through an exceptionally difficult time. They are reminding me that life is short and that we must savor every moment that we have with those we love.


Prayer: Gracious Lord, help me to approach each day with optimism and hope. Help me to remember that, even during my darkest days, I can find happiness and joy.

Joan Richardson

March 20, 2023

Nellie

Read: UMH 474

Have you ever walked with a senior dog? If you have, you know it takes a lot of patience, love, gentleness and a good sense of humor. The same things you need to walk a puppy but in very different ways. With a senior dog you slow down and enjoy the surroundings with them, take in the fragrance of the air and feel the breeze on your face. It’s like they are now teaching you. Remember the old saying “stop and smell the roses?” Well, they do, along with the clump of grass, the tree trunk, the rock, the leaf, the stick—the list goes on and on (some things I don’t even want to know what it was or where it came from). It’s their social media fix. The who-was-here-and-what-they-did, a fragrance left behind to tell a story or guide them to something special. Maybe it’s a memory of something long ago: "remember the time I ran across this field after that squirrel! Boy, did I give him the chase of a lifetime! Dog, to run like that again. woof.”
 
They wobble and weave and you have to gently help them, becoming a bumper pad, sometimes you’re not fast enough and they topple over, so you give them a hug, tell them it’s OK before helping them back on four paws. We all stumble and fall at times. They will look at you with gratitude for being there when they needed you and wag that tail as if smiling (thanks Mom). You know life is good when the tail wags so fast that it spins in circles; you know that happiness when someone comes home you are so excited to see, or when you smell dinner and know it’s got a little extra hunk of goodness just for you. Woof woof. The simple things, a rub behind the ears, a good belly scratch or nice nap in the sunshine knowing that someone who loves you is close by even if you don’t see them.

Hmm, I have learned a lot from walking with Nellie and Sadie, or should I say our Heavenly Father has taught me a lot through them.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for walking with me, teaching me to trust that You will be there to be my bumper pad when I stumble and to pick me up when I fall. Through this season of Lent guide me on the path that You choose for me as I surrender to Your lead. Amen

Julie Battle – CGUMC

 

March 19, 2023

The Power of Friends

"Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relatives house when disaster strikes you – better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away." Proverbs 27:10

When I lost my mother suddenly in January, I was thrown into a season of grief I was not prepared for, as we humans never are. Feeling alone and in a fog, as our Pastor David Eardley so perfectly put this stage of grief, I turned to my nearby friends and church community.

My mother, a well loved teacher in Troy, Michigan, and a friend and confidant to so many during her 84 years on Earth, gave me the gift of how to make friends, and keep them. And the Girl Scout song I learned from my mother, "make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold," continues to play in my head to this day. And because there is no greater teacher on the power of friendship than our Lord and Savior, I went to scripture for further knowledge and comfort.

I have been absorbed for several years in the "crowd funded" series The Chosen, watching the three seasons several times and listening to podcasts and YouTube commentaries on this worldwide ministry.

Jesus, of course, showed us the power of friendship with his 12 disciples and thousands of followers during his life on Earth. In further thinking about what the Bible teaches us about empathy and compassion, one of the earliest lessons we are taught in Sunday school is Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Luke 6:31. Another one that came to mind is "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing," Thessalonians 5:11.

I see these simple passages lived out at Grosse Pointe Methodist Church in the weekly prayer list, during Sunday services, and through our outreach ministries.

As my children and my family are not "nearby," I am so very grateful for my family of friends who have been there for me and my husband Mark, and for my new church community that offered caring and generous support when we needed it most, and still do. But most of all I am thankful for Jesus – the absolute best friend any of us could have. And I am also beyond thankful that our friend on Earth is also our Lord and Savior forever and ever!

Amy Sanford

March 18, 2023

Shining Lights

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

When I was a young kid, we lived on a court – a street that actually was a circle, but with two exits. It meant that there was little traffic on our street other than locals coming and going, and that we could ride our bikes and play pretty much unsupervised until the streetlights came on. Yes, I was a bit of a free-range child.

Anyway, I remember one evening, as I rushed home in the newly-streetlit gloom, seeing a cat under a car – looking at me with bright, glowing eyes. That was pretty darned freaky – beams of light coming out of a creature’s eyes!

Well, Dad explained to me that cats had AA batteries in their tails, and that's how their eyes glowed so brightly in the dark. As evidence, he showed me batteries from the kitchen drawer.

It couldn't have been clearer, or more obviously true.
(I wonder if I have ever explained that to Christian.
I'll have to ask.)

I told you that to tell you this. No, we don’t have AA batteries stuffed in our thumbs or wherever; instead, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. His presence lets us reflect the Light of God, lets us shine, so we can be the Light of the World.

Now it’s up to us to be the Light in a dark, sullen, and frightened world. To shine God’s Light so each person we meet can see where we’re going, who we are … Whose we are. And maybe they’ll want that light too. Just remember to tell them Who gave it to you!

Charlie van Becelaere

March 17, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 3 of 3

Read: 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Our area of Florida was experiencing a record cold spell: the outdoor temperatures were sinking to below freezing – Very Rare in our area. We came home from church Christmas Eve, and as we settled in for a long winter’s night, we noticed the house felt unusually chilly. That’s when I found the thermostat had a blank screen. Uh Oh!! Being an Old HVAC and mechanical/electrical guy I spent many a Christmas Eve working on the furnace for someone in similar circumstance. Often it was a single mother, scared she could hardly afford simple gifts for the kids let alone an expensive repair bill. I’ll confess now, those moms got a whole lot of free furnace parts and extra things taken care of off the record as my gift to a stranger on Christmas Eve, which for many people in my business was the perfect time to inflate a bill. There is, however, something about the look in a frightened person’s eyes when you tell them, “it’s no charge tonight” that is worth more than any other form of payment to me.

This night however, I didn’t have a “Ron” to call. Then I remembered I am Ron; I’m the guy I’d call anyway. So, still in my Christmas go-to-church clothes about midnight, I went out to our heat pump in the dark cold night, and after a half hour of remembering how these things work, I found a tiny blown fuse hidden way back in a pile of wires that resembled technicolor spaghetti. By now it was 12:30 AM Christmas Day and I was driving from one 24-hour gas station to another looking for a fuse that would fit my needs. Station #4 had a package of 3. Knowing fuses usually blow for a reason, I put it in and upon starting the heat, it immediately blew my replacement fuse. I went to bed with lots of extra blankets.

We were set to have a house full of company Christmas Day, and a cold house in Florida just wouldn’t do. I also learned the old trick of leaving the oven door open and putting a fan near it doesn’t work anymore. Modern ovens know the door is open and they shut themselves off. Arrrrghhh!!

All night as I tried to sleep, I was trying to remember everything I knew about the complicated wiring of a heat pump. It’s been 20+ years since I worked on one. Morning came, I went back, started reading the schematic wiring diagram and realized that even with my reading glasses, my tired eyes couldn’t see the fine print or follow the tiny lines indicating the wires.

That’s when I remembered the two Pastors. One told me sometimes the gift is a surprise that happens to be just what we need. The other sent me a magnifying glass. Well, see Part 1, specifically the Witness Committee sent the magnifier, but at that point I wasn’t sweating the details. Long story short, with my new flexible magnifier I found the only component that could cause the symptoms I was having and blow the fuse. It was Christmas Day so there’d be nowhere I could buy this component which can only be gotten at an HVAC distributor. Then I remembered that I’m still Ron Draper, and me being me, just happened to have a 30amp, 24VAC coil, 2 Pole electric Contactor sitting brand new in a box in the top of my toolbox. It was one of only a few spare parts I brought to Florida from our previous life and it was an exact replacement part. 20 minutes later the part was installed, the heat pump running and with my dignity still intact, we had a Christmas party and a feast for the ages.

Of course, the feeling of relief and accomplishment put me in a mood to write it all down for Charlie. Somewhere there’s a point to it all, if you find it, let me know. Or as my mom used to say all the time, “The Lord Provides Ron!, the Lord Provides😊”

Ron Draper

March 16, 2023

Perfect Timing

“Wait for the Lord be strong, and let your heart take courage, Wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

I must admit not only am I a worrier, I am short on patience. Since being hit by the criminal in a police chase in 1990 when my husband ended up with a broken back and no longer could work, I always expect the worst.

In 2014 my son went from a simple sore throat to sepsis and his whole body shut down. His lungs and kidneys failed, both legs clotted, and his sugar went from normal to 1800+. All the doctors but one said to pull the plug. Our family doctor handed his care over to that one, a surgeon. His lungs and kidneys came back after five months in intensive care, and his sugar went back to normal. Those five months took most of my patience. I made decisions about his coma, blood transfusions, having all his teeth pulled before any amputations, etc. He was awake before they took his leg, most of the other foot, and did skin grafts. He has since become a diabetic after an infection.

Needless to say dealing with a handicapped son who went from being an independent person living alone to depending on his mom a lot does not make him happy. He already had AD/HD, seizures, behavior problems, and a hearing loss; but he had been able to always help my husband and me with household repairs. He still tries to do as much as he can from his wheelchair. During this same time my husband passed away after simple hernia surgery. My dealing with a handicapped person with multiple medical problems is not always easy. All the doctor appointments, wound changes, and his behavior try what little patience I have. I pray for patience regularly but I also need to remember my son is God's true miracle. I was at the point where I was ready to write his obituary – and I still have him here.

When I pray for patience, health, love, finances, etc. I always think God should answer me right away. And sometimes He answers so quickly, it amazes me. My irregular heartbeat is gone after years, my Crohn's disease is in remission, and my kidney numbers are improving. Being on the Church prayer list has helped, plus having a close and dear friend, Glenn DeLodder, who makes me laugh regularly!

I think we all want God to be like the Post Office and deliver overnight, but some miracles take time. I've come to realize that things don't happen on our time. They happen in GPT – God's Perfect Timing. Keep trusting, praying, hoping and believing!

Nancy M. Kramer (Virtual Worshiper)

March 15, 2023

Contemplating the Real

Read: Philippians 2:1-11

There are times when I just don't know whether can really believe what I'm told or what I read. Many of us have been trained to trust only what we can experience with our senses and verify by an independent and unbiased source. And even then we rather train ourselves to be skeptical – even when sufficient evidence should cause our keeping an open mind. Yet in recent years we have been barraged with claims of "fake news" and the like.

Watching "The Chosen" series on the Angel app has caused me to think about things in a rather different (for me) perspective. The show does not claim to be presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather, the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And thus, when the Gospel account does not give all the details, especially the ones which we sometimes wished it had included, the writers of the show have created what seem to be reasonable interpolations of how it might have been.

And so I have also started to think, if there had been newspapers and mass media during the time of Jesus' physical presence on Earth, how might these media have covered the stories. I mean, really, water being turned into wine at a wedding? The blind and lame being cured without surgery? Lepers cured without medical treatments? And the big ones: The DEAD being raised to life?! Medically impossible! Certainly improbable. "Fake" news? How would CNN or Fox carry such stories?

But Lent really is a time to contemplate the REAL and the Certain – not just to reflect on what some "bearded, hippy-type, guru, itinerant teacher" might have done. The thought of the hour is: Jesus died AND ROSE from the DEAD! He, being God, emptied Himself in Love and humility to become the perfect and forever atoning sacrifice for ALL of our sins. What are we going to do about it? What if it really happened? What must change if it IS true? think we would have to see EVERYTHING differently! Amen.

David Smith

March 14, 2023

Saying Yes

Read: Exodus 35:30-35

The most important things my parents ever gave me are the space to try, and the space to create.

As kids, we’d want to paint our bedrooms crazy colors once a year. They’d hand us a brush and roller, and let us. When we’d envision something cool we wanted to build, my dad would help us drum up supplies, encourage, and help. When we grew to ask for power tools, he’d teach us and show us the safe way. We got a lot of support and hardly a no. As an adult, my dad’s workshop is still one of my favorite places to be.

As a parent of curious and creative children, I am often reminded of the freedom my parents gave, and I think of it with appreciation and a smile. There is so much power in saying “Yes” to our children; in allowing them the space to try, the space to do, and the space to create.
May we be reminded of the childlike curiosity God has poured into each and every one of us. May we nurture it in ourselves and in our children. May we have the patience to say “Yes” more.

Yes to playing in the mud, and made up science experiments, yes to experimenting with the hammer and wood, and yes to crazy paint colors.

I am thankful to my parents for all the yeses. and for their God-given patience with six curious and creative children. I am who I am because I could create, and because I still do.

Emily Bianchi

March 13, 2023

A Lettuce Lenten Lesson

Read: Joel 2:12-16

I confess. We do that at Lent. It’s more powerful to do it publicly: Sometimes I buy bagged salad. It goes bad approximately twelve minutes after I put it in the veggie drawer, but sometimes I buy it because I don’t want to wash the romaine and I can’t believe it will spoil that fast again. It does. Every. Time.

The other day I had an experience with bagged salad that I had never had before. I cut the end off of the bag, reached in and dropped a handful in my bowl (going to be my lunch). Huh. Carrots and red cabbage—only. I reached in and plopped a second handful in the bowl. Well. Still only carrots and red cabbage.

I looked into the bag—yes, the trend held true... nothing but more red cabbage and shredded carrots. Somehow, when this bag was filled and sealed, the lettuce got left out! I checked the label: American Salad. Not American Red Cabbage and Carrots.

“All right, then,” I thought, “I like carrots. I like red cabbage.” So I doused the bowl with Blush salad dressing and sat down. Two minutes later I had had all of both vegetables that I wanted until next Lenten season. Very crunchy, but kind of too... solid. No texture, no relief from chewiness.

I got to thinking this morning that that bag of “salad” reminds me of the gift of Lent. I always pick something to give up, something to sacrifice. I am not one of those folks who feels okay about adding something spiritual rather than fasting as well. Whether I fast from food, or “accidentally” waking Bill up from his nap, or Face Book on Sundays, giving up something that is truly hard to go forty days without is a part – for me – of the penitence of the Lenten season. I like John Wesley’s approach to weekly fasting, in which he added prayer time to the time he normally spent eating. I may add prayer time or meditation, but I will not skip making my own sacrifice in honor of Jesus’ for me.

Going without desserts or social media or whatever I choose from which to abstain makes me acutely aware of how attached I am to something “outside” of myself (other than God). I recognize clearly that that habit or device or comfort food has far too much power over my well-being. Eating carrots and cabbage was probably more nutritious than eating a bagged salad with lettuce, because the lettuce is generally iceberg that is over 90% water with almost no nutritional value. But eating a “salad” with just two ingredients made me genuinely aware of how used to the normal texture of a lettuce salad I was.

There’s obviously no sin involved in eating carrots or cabbage of which I am aware: the experience just reminded me that Lent is like that bag. For forty days I am present to missing something—something I enjoy—and my presence to that voluntary sacrifice fulfills the purpose of Lent. It helps me prepare for Easter: it helps me look at the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice beside the de minimis stature of my own; it helps me see the significance of voluntarily giving something up that matters; it helps me feel I am actually doing something for the God I love.

And you know, year upon year, the spiritual nourishment of Lenten sacrifice never goes bad.

Leigh Pettus – CGUMC

March 12, 2023

Rooted Together

Read: James 2:1-13

A few days after GPUMC hosted Shelter Week, I found myself leafing through a book celebrating the lives and music of Peter, Paul and Mary. I was surprised to read about one particular chapter in their distinguished history. It had to do with an advocacy project they took on to mark their first 25 years together: homelessness.

The folksingers met with advocates for the homeless. They visited homeless shelters and listened to the stories of their residents. Then they shared what they had learned in interviews with New York radio stations.

As the trio wrote in the book: “Our intent was to add our voices to the efforts of many others who sought to help correct the public’s misconceptions about homelessness, to help reframe the dialogue and policies regarding the homeless population, and to lobby for increased funding to ease the suffering of this much-maligned and misunderstood population.”

Artists don’t typically address such tough topics. In my mind, those who do stand out. Singer-songwriter Tom Russell is another one of those who has. These lines from his song “Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son” remind us that all of our lives are rooted together:

“So out on your journey down the highways of life
Cherish your mother, crave the love of your wife
And forget not the outcast and the homeless were once
Somebody's husband, somebody's son.”

Dave Versical

March 11, 2023

Loneliness

Read: Matthew 25:34-40

I spent about 50 years as a local government administrator in both small villages and medium-sized cities. No matter the community size, I always had residents who would drop by the office to see me with a problem. The problem was not really what they were telling me about an abandoned car, the neighbor with tall grass, smoke from the neighbor’s grill or noisy vehicles that were always speeding. The real problem was that they were lonely and needed someone to visit with. I remember Mr. Raut. He had retired from GM, his children had spread across the country, his wife had died, and his dog had died. On top of it, the neighbors that he knew had moved away or died. I heard about them all. When he died, I met his family and a son said, “I bet he drove you nuts.” I replied, “No, he was simply lonely.”

Nearly half of all Americans report feeling lonely, a figure that has steadily increased since the 1980s. One survey of community challenges found loneliness was in the top three on every list. Those who would come to my office were seldom poor; many had good pensions; one was a financial institution president who sold it for millions.

To believers everywhere, the three most powerful behavioral words Jesus spoke were “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22; see also Matthew 16:24; Mark 1:17; Luke 9:23). Jesus reached out and asked individuals to be disciples. We must do the same. There is much work to be done, call upon acquaintances, friends, and even strangers to help. Seldom will one be turned down. The list is long:

•    help provide, prepare, and/or serve meals in our kitchens
•    provide tutoring
•    facilitate activities programs
•    office coverage
•    landscaping
•    building maintenance and repairs
•    work with technology
•    create PowerPoint presentations
•    meet to knit/crochet/stitch prayer shawls, quilts, socks, etc.       
•    celebrate people with special needs
•    program and worship set up
•    provide transportation
•    construct handicapped ramps
•    assist with Cass programs
•    assist with Methodist Children’s Home programs
•    assist with food pantry

As we join hands in doing things together and for a purpose, loneliness will fade away.

Don Crawford

March 10, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 2 of 3

Read: Matthew 2:7-12

A sudden death in the family of our daughter-in-law changed our Christmas plans. Instead of hosting the crowd, we drove up the coast to Virginia and had the whole family at #1Son’s house. Upon our return Dec. 23, we found my lifelong BFF out of town. We’ve hosted him and his wife on Christmas Eve for many years since they have no other family. Soooooo, finally after way too many years, we were able to attend a Christmas Eve church service.

We attended a splendid service at a church we’ve been eyeballing for some time. We were very pleased to find it’s got a pipe organ, smaller than ours of course and no Doug, but a talented organist. They also have a guy they call the Cantor. He’s up in the balcony playing a trumpet and these enormous bongo-like drum things as well as some other instruments to accompany the organ. The whole thing pipes through a theater sized sound system that makes the music service come alive as though one were sitting in a symphony orchestra hall.

The Pastor delivered a very nice sermon. He centered it on how so many of the Jews in those days reacted negatively to the birth Jesus and rejected Him being described as the Messiah. Many people were not accepting Him as the Savior. “Certainly, this peasant baby isn’t the gift from the Lord they’ve been waiting for,” was a common belief. Then the Pastor told a story about how we sometimes get a gift, and the gift isn’t what we wanted or were hoping for, but in God’s plan the gift is exactly what we need. Jesus was such a gift back then, and He continues to be for many of us today.
 
Ron Draper

March 9, 2023

Never Say Never

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Most of us are familiar with this saying, and also with “never say never.” Recently we got a reminder in our own life. Our daughter, Katie, was changing jobs and would begin to work from home. Since Laura is now 8 and Jack 6, they thought this might be a good time to get a dog.

Katie did a lot of research and found a rescue pup about 9 months old. He was crate trained and also knew some basic commands. This sounded like a perfect fit. What they didn’t know was that he was a very timid dog.

They live in a very busy neighborhood with loads of kids coming and going all the time – chaos ensued. Their family came to our house with the pup (whom Laura had named Sprout because his hair stuck up all over the place) the beginning of November to say goodbye to Ben as he left for his year-long mobilization in El Paso, Texas.

It was evident that this adoption was not working – Katie was upset, the dog was upset, but she would have felt terrible if he had to be put back “in the system.” He was such a nice little dog and just needed quiet and some confidence.

Long story short: Dave and I had a talk and told her to leave him with us, and we’d see what we could do. Our dog, Jax, (somewhat reluctantly) approved. The funny thing is, we always said we’d never have 2 dogs, and the next dog we got would definitely not be a terrier. Well, we are now a 2 dog family with a terrier mix.

The good thing is that Scout (had to change his name since Dave couldn’t remember Sprout easily) did not have to go back to a shelter, Katie and her family can still see him and we have an affectionate new member of the family. Even though we try, we cannot predict the course of events, it seems better to leave it in God’s hands – He always makes the best choice.

Sue DeWitt

March 8, 2023

It’s a Win

Read: Jeremiah 31:13

Christine Caine received a cancer diagnosis and said to her doctor, “Well, one of three things will happen: God will cure me, medical treatment will cure me, or I will die and God will take me Home (and I’ll be cured). Either way, it’s a win.”

Her words struck me because of their simple truth. It’s replacing fear with faith and trust in God’s plan. I thought of these courageous words so many times as my husband, Bill, battled pancreatic cancer. They brought comfort and reassurance in a time of immense worry and despair.

While a terminal illness often pulls us closer to God, it isn’t a faith walk we choose as followers of Christ. What does resonate is the glaring truth that becomes so clear when everything else that matters is stripped away. God loves us and will be with us no matter what we face. Our challenge is to trust and give our desire for control to Him. As Christine Caine said, “Either way, it’s a win.”

Prayer: Gracious God, we trust in your wisdom and ask for your love and comfort to surround us in times of challenge. Give us peace, and in knowing you may we find a true path to salvation.
Amen

Marcia Wright

March 7, 2023

Sharing the Good News

Today's devotion refers to Acts 20, Verse 24, where Paul is saying good-bye to the Ephesian Elders on his route to Jerusalem.... "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

Many years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. While I never believed it was going to take my life (I had two young boys to raise), I still fought it with everything I had! That started with an aggressive medical team and experimental treatment plan. This included standard plus additional chemo, surgery, and radiation, and in that order. While I was nervous to defer the lumpectomy until after the chemo, my doctor stated that it's really the only way to know if the cancer is responding to the chemical treatment. That makes sense... They also shortened the time between my chemo rounds, which has since become standard practice. Another smart approach. But I didn't stop with a great medical team and strategy. I am of the generation where as a child, when you heard that someone had cancer, you expected them to die from it. Although I knew there had been major medical advancements, those concerns can still poison your mind if you let your guard down.

So, I didn't hide my medical situation, but rather told everyone in my circle. When anyone asked if there was anything they could do to help me I said, "Yes! Please pray for my healing, and spread the word! My goal is to have the largest prayer group ever." And they did. My friends, co-workers, siblings, parents and extended family all granted my request. I assure you there were people praying for me whom I never did nor ever will meet in person. In particular, however, I had a co-worker who was also the pastor of a local church. We had several conversations and he kept me on their prayer list during my entire battle.

This happened when I lived in Indiana, just before moving back to Michigan. After my treatment protocol was finished and I was back to better health, I heard from this man. He asked me if, when I was in town for a follow-up visit, I'd be willing to come to his church to give a testimonial. The thought of this really made me uncomfortable. I didn't know any of those people and was frightened to do it. Finally, he persuaded me that they'd been faithfully praying for me and it would mean a lot to them to see me in good health. So I agreed and we set up a plan. When I arrived, I immediately noticed that my skin and hair color did not resemble nearly anyone else in the room. While providing a very insightful memory to reflect upon later, at the time it only served to add to my discomfort and nervousness. However, I stayed and when called upon, stood and gave a testimonial of the grace of God's healing and the power of prayer. I thanked them graciously for being the active participants in my journey to become a 'survivor'. After a powerful service where their guest pastor made me cry (another good devotional topic), they invited me to join them for a luncheon. After lunch, I returned home that day feeling very good about sharing my story, but mostly about the love and generosity of the congregants of that church.

About a month later, this friend & pastor contacted me and told me that one of their members had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She'd discussed the situation with him and told him she wasn't frightened because of my testimony. He thanked me again for sharing the details of my journey, but I know I got more out of it than they. Sharing the good news of God's glory has double-sided benefits! What can you share today?

Debbie Smith
19 year Survivor!
 

March 6, 2023

How’s Your Corner?

Matthew 5:14-16 reads:“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.”

As I was working on the sermon for Feb. 5th, I got an ear-worm. You know, that song or piece of a song that seems stuck in your head? I’d try to sing it out, but it would come right back, I tried to sing something else to replace it, but before I knew it, I’d be humming and singing it again! So, I’m going to share it with you!
the chorus goes:

“Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!”

This song was written by Ina Ogdon. Ina was a talented speaker who was invited to go on the Chautauqua Circuit and speak for Christ. She was thrilled by this invitation and so excited to go. However, when it was time for her to leave, her father was seriously injured in an automobile accident and she felt it necessary to care for him instead of going on the speaking circuit. In her crushing disappointment, she found herself full of rage and resentment toward God, whom she blamed for her circumstances. Gradually, she decided she would be happy in her current circumstances and try to brighten the corner where she was. In 1913, she penned this poem reflecting her attitude.

What a good thought for us! We choose our attitude and choose how to shape our corner of the world. We can reflect an Eeyore attitude of gloom in our corner, or we can reflect the light of Christ and brighten our corner. How’s your corner?

Maybe I should keep this ear-worm, in case you want to join me, here are the verses:

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the Bright and Morning Star;
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Pastor Pam Wells – CGUMC

March 5, 2023

Beautiful Melodies
 
Read Psalm 96:1-3
 
I have been playing the euphonium for nearly 30 years. I especially enjoy playing at church during Praise Band rehearsals Wednesday evenings, and during Service on Sunday mornings. It is almost like praying with my fingers. But every couple weeks or so, no matter how much I tune them, the notes begin to sound tired and flat. Then I must do one of my least favorite tasks: adjust the tuning slide. I slowly unwind and continuously pull in and push out the slide until the instrument is properly tuned. It’s a lot of trouble, but even the plainest melody rings with beauty.

I have discovered that sometimes God works in me the same way. When my life has gotten out of tune, God sits me down and starts adjusting my slide. God unwinds my attitudes and goals that have a selfish sharp sound and gently leads me to repentance. Next, God adjusts the slide, tuning the instrument until the grace notes of Jesus Christ can be heard again in my heart. When the Great Musician sits down to play the beautiful melodies of life in me again — oh, what joy!
 
Prayer: Father God, forgive us when our decisions do not follow your will. Tune our hearts to sing the songs of heaven today. Amen.
 
Prayer Focus: Musicians
 
Thought for the day:
Today I will sing a new song to the Lord

Ben DeWitt

March 4, 2023

Lean Toward the Light

John 8:12 — When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
 

I’m not a terrific gardener, but I do delight in having an array of plants in my sunroom, soaking up the rays and making my home feel cozier.

I am especially intrigued by the way my houseplants follow the light. Whenever I move a pot to a new location or just turn it around a bit, the plant always adjusts and stretches out in the direction of the light. The plants embrace the light and, when they do so, they continue to grow.

Those plants are a metaphor for our need, our desire to embrace the light. Just as those plants need the light to grow, we need light to grow. We need to reach toward the light that is Jesus Christ and allow ourselves to bathe in the warmth of his love.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, please help me to lean into the light and to follow the light wherever it leads me.

Joan Richardson

March 3, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 1 of 3

Read: Ephesians 2:17-22

Not long before Christmas we received a very nice Christmas card from the Eardley family. I asked the Lovely & Gracious JeriLynn which family member it was that found us, since I didn’t recognize the name. We puzzled over it a minute, then I recognized the return address as the Parsonage. Having solved the mystery, we were both very happy to have been included in the inaugural Christmas card mailing for our new Pastor and family. We displayed it in a place of honor and enjoyed reading the message.

About the same time, we received another Christmas card from the Witness Committee at the Church. This one included 2 little flexible pieces of clear plastic with concentric circles on them. They were magnifying glasses. Last time I had a magnifying glass it was a round piece of glass with a metal handle and we used them to start little fires of pine needles and to fry ants on the sidewalk in the sunlight. (Kids nowadays have no clue to the fun we had with simple things.)

Hmmmm, a rather peculiar thing to include with a Christmas card I thought, and so I put them back in their card next to the Pastor’s card for safe keeping and hopefully remember them if I ever need one. Over the next few days, however, my memory had me putting them in the Pastor’s card. This is all rather boring and insignificant but keep it in mind when you read the much anticipated, ever-exiting, forthcoming, Part 2. (coming March 10)

Ron Draper

March 2, 2023

COVID19 Got Us!

Read: Mark 6:30-32, Ecclesiastes 10:10

Well, it finally happened after almost three years…. Sue and I got COVID19 on Friday January 7th. Where did it come from? Perhaps that crowded New Year’s Eve party or the political meeting in Westland the previous Tuesday, but who knows!?

Yup, we were totally vaccinated and boosted, so our symptoms were typical: congestion, coughing, tired, achy, and running nose. When we took the home COVID19 test, I think my results could best be described as announcing the overwhelmingly Positive by a loudly playing Michigan Marching Band. Sue, on the other hand, showed a negative response, but she still had the symptoms.

Saturday morning I awoke around 3:00am feeling like a truck had run into me, but Advil helped and I fell back to sleep. Luckily, we had gotten our Kroger order placed into the car trunk on the prior Thursday, so food was not an issue.

Like a lot of people, we felt lousy for most of the week, and by the next Friday I was feeling better and Saturday too. So, never having too much experience with serious illness, I got a call from Doc James Martin about downhill skiing for half a day at Mt Holly on Sunday (beautiful day and great conditions), then my pickleball group on Monday afternoon and then on Tuesday 20 lengths at the LA Fitness pool.

Guess what! Yup, on Wednesday I started feeling the symptoms returning. So my nurse daughter Katrina and my dear wife Susan, both conferred the same advice, I over-did the expectation of recovery.

So, for the rest of the week I RESTED, read some books (even a couple of non-fiction ones too), petted our two dogs (see Sue’s devotion on 3/9 on our recent #2 dog acquisition) and took the time to chill.

Ya know what, also during this time I reflected on life, illness, and what the remainder of my Retirement should look like (I retired in March of 2020, but that is another related story).

Ya know, I think the Lord was talking to me and used COVID19 as his methodology. Consequently I will be trying something I have dabbled in throughout my adult life, but never to the extent that this will entail. I have already made some important inroads and will find out where they and the Lord lead me.

Prayer: Lord, help me navigate through the next opportunity I will be pursuing, and may it accomplish the greater good that I hope it achieves. Amen.

Dave DeWitt

March 1, 2023

Big Storm vs. Little Boat

Read: Luke 8:22-25

On a recent jaunt up Lakeshore Drive, I looked out on a stormy Lake Saint Clair to see a single boat on the water. There were two people in the boat, probably fishing, as I can only imagine that to be the only semi-reasonable activity to engage in on the water during a snow storm. I thought, "Not me!"

My thoughts took me to the story of Jesus, also in a boat, with His disciples. They, too, were experiencing a storm, and Jesus' fearful followers woke Him, asking how He could sleep when they were about to drown. Jesus asks them "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8: 25). He could have said so many other things, such as "Didn't we just learn this from the Centurion?" but His reply to his devoted ones is simple.

And the question remains for us today. May we consider this story as a gentle reminder that when we are in unsure, perhaps even dangerous times in our lives, to remember our faith in God. He is faithful and will always come through.

Prayer: Dear God, help us remember our faith in tough times, and to trust You always. Amen.

Rev. Leslie A. Rutland-Tipton

February 28, 2023

Sometimes the Simplest Are the Best

Read: Luke 2:1-20

Our family has had some pretty amazing Christmases: great food, too many gifts and parties, domestic and foreign travel. This last Christmas we walked the Freedom Walk in Boston and visited the Mt Washington Hotel, New Hampshire’s version of our Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

One Christmas we went to the Aspen United Methodist Church for Christmas Eve.

Last year we had to cancel all our reservations for Christmas week in Vermont when my son-in-law got COVID on Christmas Eve while we were watching the Pope say mass from Rome. There was no church that evening since the religious leaders in Cleveland said Christmas Eve services were unsafe.

That said, probably one of my most memorable Christmas Eves was December 24, 2020. Fifteen of us, bundled in our warmest, stood in the Memorial Garden while Charlie van Becelaere read the Christmas story from Luke.

Fifteen minutes and a little frostbite later, we were on our way home. I had made brisket and had my Jewish friend and her husband came for dinner. Even without the brisket, it was a Christmas to remember.

Sometimes the simplest events are the best. ‘Tis a gift to be simple.

Vivian Anderson

February 27, 2023

Gold Confetti

Read: Philippians 1:9-11

It’s everywhere!! Just like God’s love

At my second hotel in Dallas, I happened to notice a little gold shimmer on the floor in my room. After investigating, I discovered it was a piece of gold confetti. The same stuff we shot off in the choir loft when the children brought the Christmas message. I had the same shoes with me that I had worn that day in church. BUT- I had worn those shoes half a dozen times (at least) since that day. There was no confetti on the outside of them anywhere, but I did discover a couple more pieces inside one shoe. So – I sent a picture and text to Pam and said, “Look what I found in my hotel room” To which she replied, “It’s everywhere!! just like God’s love”

Well, it turns out confetti multiplies – just like God’s love!

I found 3 more pieces in the hallway. I do not walk around in my stocking feet in hotel hallways… so how did it find its way out of my room? (Remember I had examined my shoes and found it only on the inside.) I left the pieces in the hallway for a few days – probably because it made me smile every time I walked to my room. (In defense of the housekeeping staff, I had to use three different vacuums at church to clean it up.) The day before I checked out, I picked up the pieces and put them in the outer pocket of my suitcase, and zipped it up. My confetti pieces and I flew off to Puerto Rico.

The day before I was supposed to leave Puerto Rico, as I was starting to pack back up, something shiny caught my attention. About 20 feet from where my suitcase was parked, there on the floor was a shiny round piece of gold confetti. Trust me, I checked those shoes again. There were still pieces of confetti stuck inside them. How all those pieces got where they did may not be unexplainable, but it is a little mysterious…How God’s love follows us around no matter where we go, what we do, or how we act – that is a lot mysterious! But I’m glad it does!

Dear God, thank you for the little mysteries that remind us that we can’t get away from your love. Help us to always be aware of that, and grateful for it! Amen.

Jacki Rumpp – CGUMC

February 26, 2023

Hang in There

Read: Psalm 40

When you're "bearly" getting by.
and you have a beastly day.
when life is hard to bear
and it rubs you the wrong way …

Just turn your eyes to Heaven
and pause to say a prayer
that God will lift you up
and help you HANG IN THERE!!

Glenn DeLodder

February 25, 2023

Fasting for Lent

“Blow the horn in Zion; demand a fast; request a special assembly. Gather the people; prepare a holy meeting; assemble the elders; gather the children, even the nursing infants.” - Joel 2:15-16a

Do you fast for Lent? Is there something you’ve given up for the Lent season (the whole season, including Sundays)? Over the years I’ve given up different things, such as soda pop, fried fast food (which kept Subway on the list as an option), and fasting for one day a week during Lent. Each were a challenge, especially at the beginning. Giving up something that you like takes a bit of focus, right? There were moments when I think I was thinking about what I had given up, more than thinking about the space it was creating in my life. When you fast for a day, that means your meal time is open to doing other things, such as not thinking about what other people may be eating for their meals. This particular Lent fast opened me to thinking about adding something during Lent, such as prayer time, scripture reading, or serving. It opened the door of using the Book of Common Prayer’s daily office for personal devotions. It also opened the door to reading the Psalms every day. When COVID came, I committed to reading the Psalms every month (5 chapters a day). That particular Lent discipline continued for the next twelve months as I read the book of Psalms monthly from a different translation. Doing so gave me a deeper appreciation for the Psalms and how they speak to our daily lives. It was also a place where God met me time and time again. His words breathed life and hope into me on more than one occasion. It was a journey that I treasured and one that has led me back to the Psalms for more reflection and prayer.

What have you given up for Lent to give God some space to fill? What have you added to make your Lent journey one where you open your mind, heart, and life to God and God’s way?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us make space in our lives for you. As we do so, please fill those gaps with your presence, so that we may hear your voice and feel you near. Amen.

Rev. David Eardley

February 24, 2023

Living Life Without Regrets

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)
Colossians 1: 9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (NIV)

Have you said or done something you wish you could take back? Sometimes it is not something we’ve said or done that we regret, but something we have not done or wished we had done. We regret missed opportunities or failings. Regrets come in many shapes and sizes. In the above scripture reference, Paul talks about Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. With Godly sorrow we have sadness at offending God. We repent and try to become a morally better person. Worldly sorrow on the other hand revolves around the pain that sin causes oneself, rather than God. It fears the consequences of punishment, but does not aim to improve moral well-being.

Even our Biblical heroes had regrets. Paul, a great persecutor of the early Christians, approved of the stoning of Stephen to death. David, a man after God’s heart, was a murderer and adulterer. Peter denied Christ three times and yet Jesus asked him three times to ‘feed my sheep.’ Each of these Biblical heroes turned their regrets into repentance and lived a life of purpose that brought honor and glory to God.

To get beyond regret we need to seek a ‘God intervention’ to lead us to change. God desires to restore us. He has given us the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.
Some keys that help me deal with regrets include the following:
•    knowing what God wants from me by studying his holy word.
•    following God’s laws which teach us how to live happily, peacefully, and abundantly.
•    following the example of Christ.
•    seeking the positive and being the positive.
•    living a life of purpose.
•    asking if what I do will please God and bring him honor and glory.

We cannot undo the past, but, with God’s help, we can live well despite regrets, because God in his grace and mercy forgives us and leads us to be a better person.

Prayer: Guide me to live a life without regrets. Thank you for your mercy and grace when I fail.

Prayer Focus: For those struggling with regret.

Pat Deck

February 23, 2023

Fruit Happens

Read: John 15:1-11

Sometimes I catch myself working really hard to do what I “know” God wants me to do. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not the way it really works – fruit comes from the vine, not just from the branch.

The fruit comes when we let Him produce it in our lives – through our living – not when we try to make it happen ourselves.

As the song goes:
I know that my ability
Is not Your main concern
It's my availability
And willingness to learn
    - Bob Hartman

Right – it’s not my ability, it’s my availability. I have to let Christ live and work in me and through me; then I’ll find that Fruit Happens:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (as another song goes!).

Lord, may we all bear much fruit in our lives to Your glory and the healing of the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere

February 22, 2023 - Ash Wednesday

Marked by Love

“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” –2 Corinthians 5:20 NRSV Bible

Welcome to the pilgrimage of the Lenten season. This may be your first time to take this journey, or this may be a cherished tradition within your faith story. Either way, we each find ourselves on a new path, even if the story is familiar. Why a new path?... because a year has passed since we last followed Jesus to Jerusalem and his betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. In that year we have changed, our lives have changed, the world has changed. Thus, the newness may not have been our choice, but here we are… at the beginning of Lent. Take heart, pilgrims, because we are never left alone. During this season, along the Lenten journey, we will walk with each other through worship and through this devotional. The stories of our friends will inspire us, drive us deeper into faithful reflection, draw us closer to one another and to our ever faithful God, who guides us in this holy season. Ah yes, pilgrims, it is Jesus whom we follow throughout Lent. His story, his love, his way, all experienced through the part of his body known as GPUMC. I am grateful to everyone who is giving me this opportunity to share Lent with them and their faith. You will encourage my and everyone’s faith and devotion to Jesus. Thank you for this gift. It is profound, and it is sacred.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, on this first day of Lent, and every day that follows, be our guide. Challenge us and comfort us, as we follow Jesus to Jerusalem. Use these devotionals to open your way to us in new ways. Bless these stories as we read them, reflect upon them, and remember them. Help us to meet Jesus each day, and help us to be signs of Jesus for the world around us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Rev. David Eardley

Lent 2023 - Introduction

Welcome back to Lent! As always, it has been my honor and joy to edit this book (my 25th as editor!); and once again, you came through for me – and for each other! Not only did I have enough devotions to cover the forty days, I could even cover all of the Sundays but two with original devotions! On a possibly interesting side note, this marks the return of Charles Wesley, as well as the continued collaboration with our brothers and sisters from College Grove UMC in Tennessee.

Once again, we got submissions from several new writers and new members to go along with many of our long-time stalwarts, and even a thrilling three-parter from a long-time contributor who attends worship online from Florida. It really was great to have so many new voices share their thoughts, time, insights, and witness with our church family as we make our slow but sure journey toward the glory of Easter Sunday.

Next, as so often happens, an overall theme seemed to emerge as I collected and arranged the contributions. This year there was a lot of meditation on and celebration of Light, the Light of the World, the One whose light we reflect, who illuminates our way. That thread of Light, Leading, and Providence weaves through our book and reminds us to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives and in our world, and to look for ways we can be that Light for others.

It’s pretty amazing. I don’t know how these “themes” appear each year (OK, I do: it’s the Holy Spirit prompting us to write on what we and our readers will need!), but still, I am always comforted and excited when they do appear.

Now, as we have each year since reviving this Lenten tradition, we repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions, published in 1974:

Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.
One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments.
From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always. 

The Lenten Committee

Again, we can but say, “Amen.”

Charlie van Becelaere, Editor

April 17, 2022 – Easter Sunday

UMH 322 – Up from the Grave He Arose

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior,
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Robert Lowry

April 16, 2022

The Power of Prayer

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on Earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” – Matthew 18:19-20

Many years ago, one of my favorite bosses came by to ask about some work that was to be done on the Air Conditioner just outside my office. I told him the guy had been there and had fixed it. He said, “You don’t know that; you only know he worked on it.” That message has stayed with me even to today.

From November 2020 to March 2021 practically every time I left home, it was to go to the E.R. or the nose and throat doctor for recurring nose bleeds. It was difficult to plan to do something, or to go any place because I might have a nose bleed with no warning. It was my practice to not go anywhere without a clamp for my nose. My boss’s old saying came back – since November a lot of people have worked on my nose, but no one fixed it.

As I write this, it seems we finally put the right person on the job! I had been praying for relief, but results came when Jacki, my daughter, asked the prayer circle at her church to include me in their prayers. Heidi’s sister did the same at her church. I also was put on the list at our church. (A trinity of prayer groups!) I don’t know if it was the sheer volume of prayers, or if God knew I was on the verge of doing something stupid. At my last doctor visit, he said “It looks like it is healed.” We all know who to thank for that!

Through all this difficulty, I never lost sight of how good I have it, and how blessed I am. Whenever I began to feel sorry for myself, I would be reminded of the struggles, disappointments and tragedies others have, or are enduring. I thank God every day for my many blessings.

Jack van Becelaere
(If you’re interested, you can ask Charlie what the “something stupid” was.)

April 15, 2022 – Good Friday

Living in the Light of Christ

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5

The word "Lent" means lengthening. During the Lenten season the days are getting longer – there is more light. So, for us Lent is a time to move toward the source of all light, Jesus.

Martin Luther once spent three days in a dark depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes.

"Who's dead?" he asked her.
"God," she replied.

Luther rebuked her, saying, "What do you mean, God is dead? God is not dead!”
"Well," she replied, "the way you've been acting I was sure He had died!" (told by Ray C. Stedman in The Incredible Hope).

Church, sometimes we modern Christians fall into the same trap. We get stuck in the darkness and despair of abandonment, betrayal, and abuse. We get stuck on Good Friday. We get stuck there until we become uncomfortably comfortable there. We forget that yes, Jesus died, but he is alive again. The forces of sin, darkness and despair are defeated! Jesus went through a dark time, but he did not stay there. And neither should we. Because He lives, we can live also.

Rev. Will Wells, College Grove UMC

April 14, 2022 – Maundy Thursday

Hope of the World

Read UMH 178

“Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion, speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent. Save us, thy people from consuming passion, who by our own false hopes and aims are spent." (Georgia Harkness, UMH 178, vs.1)

As I listen to the news stories of today, from local to international levels, I find myself deeply concerned about the state of affairs in the world we all share. The "bad” news stories far outweigh the “good” and inspiring ones. We are all too familiar with reports of hateful and fearful deeds, from glaring acts of violence and warring factions in human society to the many "hidden" and disguised attacks on people we simply don't like, or those who do not meet our personal needs and expectations. Of course, this same human drama has played out for as long as humankind has walked the face of the Earth. Any observant and caring person must wonder how long we will be content with this situation, disrupting meaningful life and making “peace on Earth, goodwill to all” seem to be but a fanciful dream. Thankfully and rejoicingly, a divine plan was sent to us in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

“Hope of the world, God's gift from highest Heaven, bringing to hungry souls the bread of life, still let thy spirit unto us be given, to heal Earth's wounds and end all bitter strife." (UMH 178, verse 2)

As I see it, the ills of the world revolve around the fundamental problem of relationship. How we relate to each other, our world in general (including the domain of plants and animals and Earth's ecosystems) and, most importantly, how we relate to our Creator-God is central to how we live in this shared realm. There is little point in trying to solve problems unless we get to the root cause. Treating the symptoms provides temporary relief, which is helpful. But until the root cause is dealt with, problems will only recur, in different forms perhaps, but forms can be deceiving. How many wars have been fought across millennia for material gain, or because the leader of a country or tribe is afflicted with egomania? Examples can be found throughout human history and in our time as well. The "Great War" (World War I) was thought to be the war to end all wars, yet within a mere two decades, seeds of a greater and far more costly conflict had already been sown. Just within our American society, the increase in violence (and threats thereof) and lack of acceptance of those who appear differently or have dissimilar viewpoints is alarming. We read in Luke that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Jesus opened up the path of light, so that we might not long remain in darkness. He challenges us to discover our true spiritual nature, our essential selves. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). "On the day when God created man he made him in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 5:1) Perhaps, despite all worldly appearances of differentiation and of separation, we have been mistaken about our true identity, that there is a Oneness that unites us all. As an analogy, think for a moment of God as the ocean, and we are all ripples upon it. Some waves hail themselves as King of the ocean. How foolish. Key to how we ought to relate to one another is the fact that God is never absent from any part of His creation. If God were, that person could not even exist, for "we live and move and have our being in him" (Acts 17:28).

In Colossians we read: "The mystery, hidden through the ages and generations, has now been made known to his holy ones. To them God wanted to make known the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” If we see the face of Christ in everyone we meet or look upon, whether for an instant or time measured in years, we remember and honor God. This cannot but change our point of view, for what we offer another is the same gift we give to ourselves. And Spiritual gifts must be given if we are to know them as our own. To have peace, teach peace to learn it.

Living a truly Christian life is not easy. Jesus asks us to love one another as he loved us. He even asks us to love our enemies. The world would call this a radical idea. Every day, in myriad ways, each of us has the opportunity to re-think our relationships to one another (and thus to God), to think about what is real and what is illusory, to remove the obstacles to peace and end conflict – in short, to become modern-day disciples of Jesus Christ. For it is through us that peace will come. The question to human society is: "Do we want it?"

Sincerely, Doug Dykstra

April 13, 2022

Learning a New Language

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” – Colossians 3:16

Throughout the majority of his life, my dad was not an emotionally expressive person. He was incredibly kind and funny, so people were drawn to him. In the last several years of his life he learned a new language – a language of expression – music. Learning a new language is a great way to keep your brain young – and his was!

Besides the joy it gave him – both listening and playing – it gave him a way to express his feelings, and a way to share his new joy with anyone who was willing to listen. Most of our conversations were spent discussing music. The stories behind the music, chords, lyrics, and most importantly the feeling connected to those lyrics. He began sharing his new musical language with his congregation. He found songs that inspired everyone. The inspiration didn’t just come from the music and lyrics, but from witnessing a man who believed that despite his age, he could still learn a new skill, as well as learn and grow spiritually and emotionally.

He was especially fond of classic country music and was a wealth of knowledge on singers and the origins of their songs. He often commented about Roger Miller and his habit of writing ideas on scraps of paper and storing them in a box to go back to later. My dad liked the idea of writing a song, and I found snippets of ideas on many notepads worthy of a Roger Miller box. He didn’t write a song, but he was a prolific writer of devotions. Sorting through his file cabinets, I discovered a folder labeled Roger Miller File! In it were his notes for devotions for the next Lenten devotion book. What a gift.

Sometimes the things we like to do don’t seem like a gift – just a joy. Those may very well be the things God puts on our hearts knowing the joy they will bring to others. Let’s all try to share our gifts/joys – it may just inspire someone else to share theirs.

Dear God, thank you for the many joys we find in this Earthly life. Help us share those joys and gifts so we can be an example to others who hesitate to share, or recognize, their own. Amen.

Jacki Rumpp

April 12, 2022

When I Needed You

“Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.” – Romans 12:13

Since I recently moved to Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan from Rochester, NY during COVID, I have been looking for a church and found you, Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church. I’ve missed my former church and visited several, but virtual is not the same as attending and meeting people. When actual attendance was allowed I visited the churches I saw online and then I found this one.

I give thanks to you every day because you welcomed me and invited me in to participate. I have met people of all ages. I especially want to give a shout out to Vivian Anderson who greeted me and informed/invited me to some events where I’ve met more of you.

At my age I have been blessed with good health, loving and helpful family nearby, and now a new church family. Blessings to all of you. You have contributed to my needs at a time of my life when I needed you. Thank you!!

Claire Welch

April 11, 2022

Receiving Grace, One Penny at a Time

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9

After my mom died, I was responsible for cleaning out her home, making sure to distribute belongings to relatives and charities. Along the way, of course, there were lots of fun and quirky discoveries, as there always are when you are looking at someone else’s belongings.

At the bottom of her bathroom cabinet, I discovered a glass jar labeled “found money” and filled with coins. There was about $22 in the jar, mostly pennies but with occasional nickels, dimes, and quarters in the mix.

Mom had a habit of never passing by a coin that she spotted on the ground. “See a penny, pick it up, all day long, you’ll have good luck.” That was a refrain that I heard often as I grew up.

Both of my parents were the right combination of generous and frugal. I could tell many stories about both of them and the ways in which they reached out to help others, and I could balance those tales with just as many stories of their frugality. As children of the Depression, they took neither generosity nor frugality lightly.

So picking up those coins was a habit borne out of Mom’s lifetime of watching her pennies and counting her blessings. This “found money” was unearned so she treated it with care. Each coin was an expected gift, something that simply appeared on her path as she went about her life. That $22 in coins represented literally hundreds of moments when she recognized that she had been gifted with something of value. She did not just deposit those coins in her purse to blend in with other money.
She picked up each coin, reflected upon her luck, and set it aside in this special place.

Mom and her collection of coins makes me think about the gift of God’s grace. I am showered with that grace every day. I have done nothing to earn it, but I feel the gift of that love all around me. I am no more deserving of that grace, that love, than anyone else. But I am blessed every moment of every day to have it. Recognizing that I am the recipient of such grace emboldens me to live the life that God intended for me.

Prayer: As I absorb God’s grace every day, please help me to honor that gift by recognizing that I have received it and by ensuring that I do all that I can to live fully in the way that God intends me to live.

Joan Richardson

April 10, 2022 – Palm Sunday

UMH 60 – I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath

I'll praise my Maker while I've breath;
and when my voice is lost in death,
praise shall employ my nobler powers.
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
while life, and thought, and being last,
or immortality endures.

Happy are they whose hopes rely
on Israel's God, who made the sky
and earth and seas, with all their train;
whose truth for ever stands secure,
who saves th'oppressed and feeds the poor,
for none shall find God's promise vain.

The Lord pours eyesight on the blind;
the Lord supports the fainting mind
and sends the laboring conscience peace.
God helps the stranger in distress,
the widow and the fatherless,
and grants the prisoner sweet release.

I'll praise my God who lends me breath;
and when my voice is lost in death,
praise shall employ my nobler powers.
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
while life, and thought, and being last,
or immortality endures.

John Wesley, 1737

April 9, 2022

Buried Treasure

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17

I’ve been sorting, tossing, and donating from my dad’s house. He had quite a few winter coats that I was glad would get new homes with people who needed them. I searched all the pockets first. One of the coats, in an obscure closet behind the furnace, had an iPhone in an inside pocket. I remembered that my dad had to get a new phone because he lost his. When I told my brother, Charlie, I had found it, he mentioned that my dad had written a devotion about losing it. So – I looked it up. I found it in the 2019 GPUMC Lenten Devotion book. As part of Dad’s devotion, he said, “The loss of the phone was not a big concern – phones are easily replaced…The real loss was the information on the phone.”

As most of you know I recently lost my dad – but he is not easily replaced! But there is also a big loss of information in his head. As I dug through his files and desks, I found pieces of paper here and there with information about where certain pieces of furniture had come from, family lineages and birth and death dates. Bits and pieces contribute to a story, but can’t create the book(s) that could be written from the first-hand account of those who knew the answers to the questions still to be asked. I know Charlie has been putting together the ancestry puzzle – and there are several things written down. I am interested in the furniture and accessories that hold meaning for me and will compile whatever bits and pieces of writings I can find.

This brings me to my main point/or question. Where do we turn when we no longer have first-hand information available to us? (A secondary point is to ask all your questions of the living while they are with you!) Jesus is no longer walking around in the flesh answering our questions. Although his answers then were often no more concise than bits and pieces that had to be sorted out! But the answers are all there in the Bible. Thankfully there were people around who had the sense to write it all down for future generations – us.

Too often, I find myself wishing I could ask something, or know the right thing to do or say, when guidance is right there for the taking – if I would just open my Bible and look!

Dear God, thank you for being there with answers to my questions. Help me to remember to look for them and to recognize them. Amen

Jacki Rumpp

April 8, 2022

Focus

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14

I decided to begin 2022 with picking a word. My word has been FOCUS. One of the things I have chosen to focus on is memorizing scripture. I have tried this in the past without much success. What has seemed to change this time is my FOCUS on God while finding the appropriate scripture to memorize. Every morning I read the Holy Bible app’s verse of the day and the devotional that goes along with it. While focusing on God I am led to which verses God is speaking to me personally. This seems to be working and as of today I have memorized 15 verses.

The one that especially came to mind while writing this devotional was “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

This particular verse has led me in my conversations with others lately and what I let my self think about. If the Lord would not be pleased with my words or what I am thinking then I shouldn’t be saying it or thinking it. When I realize I am dwelling on the negative and the words of my mouth sound like my negative attitude, this scripture points me in God’s direction.

Lisa Sicklesteel

April 7, 2022

Is It Time Yet?

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I hate Daylight Saving Time change. I suspect I'm not the only one, since every time it occurs there is a call to get rid of it, which never happens.

Our dog, Jax, is also not a fan. Jax's sense of time is the rhythm of his own body. He is also very “food focused.” As a result, when the clock changes, the following occurs. Jax finds me when he determines it is his dinner time (when his stomach says it should be). He gives me the “dog stare” (if you stare at the human long enough, you will get what you want). I tell Jax, “not yet, it's only 3:30, you eat at 4:30.” This sequence is repeated every 5 minutes until it is 4:30 or I give in, whichever comes first.

Our prayer life can be similar, when we keep “asking” God for something, and when it doesn't happen right away, misinterpreting the answer. God responds in His own time and way. Maybe the answer to our prayer is, “not yet.”

Prayer focus: dogs and what we can learn from them

Sue DeWitt

April 6, 2022

Purposeful Gratitude

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13-15 NIV

I can't remember exactly when I wrote my first devotion, but it was a long time ago and I think I've written at least one every year since.

Usually, they stem from some event that was disruptive and sticks in my mind and in hindsight reminds me of how God is working in our lives. Sometimes they are a reflection on a particularly difficult time that God helped me get through.

This past year I have certainly had ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations; but as I sit down to write this, all I can think of is that my life is good, my burden is light, and my blessings are many. It's almost like, I'm embarrassed to say, my life is so good that I've become complacent about it. My reflection on the disruptions of the past year is dull (if you know what I mean).

I have conversations with God every day and I feel his presence in my life and that brings me daily peace. But it’s almost like a good friend you know will always be there for you, so you start taking them for granted and don’t notice all they do for you.

Maybe I’m still on an artificial high from 5 weeks in Hawaii and that is why everything feels so good, LOL. I’m not sure but I but I am moved today to make this Lent one of gratitude. Of being purposeful each day in recognizing all the blessings in my life. All the people, experiences, and yes, things that bring me joy. Especially the peace that comes from God and the promise of eternal life.
 
Prayer intentions today for all whose cup overflows and even more so for those in need.

Cathy Lorenz

April 5, 2022

UNCERTAINTY – Listen for God’s Voice

“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” –
Hebrews 11:1

Have you ever had not one, but two or three or more issues looming in your future to be handled all at once? You almost feel like telling God – “Hold off – I have enough to know the only way I can face and handle all issues at once is to trust You!” This conundrum feeling usually occurs during the middle of the night for me which compounds the confusion and angst interrupting restorative sleep.

The Upper Room has always been beside my bed to be read upon waking in the morning. Lately, I changed the practice and started to read the Upper Room in the middle of the night during those fear times. God speaks to us in many ways, through the voice of friends, the written word, the beauty of music, gorgeous sunsets, and on and on, but lately for me during reading of the Upper Room in the middle of the night I find some peace. The mediation for the day has been ‘spot on’ calming my mind allowing sleep to return.

The midnight conundrums still occur but listening to God speak through the Upper Room does make them less disturbing.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving us peace by speaking to us through the written words of others.

Thought: Listen for and to God’s voice speaking to you.

Carolyn Barth

April 4, 2022

Learning to Love Little Brown Birds

“I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” – Psalm 50:11

Thanks to Judy Wilcox, I spend way too much money on bird feed every month. When Judy and I were part of a small group at church, she used to rhapsodize about how much she loved watching the birds in her yard. Honestly, she was just poetic when she described how they looked and the joy she felt at watching them cavort around her yard.

I was so inspired by her stories that I decided to try this myself. So I bought a bird feeder and a lot of bird seed, filled the bird bath, and sat back. I told the salesman at Wild Wings that I wanted to attract cardinals and other colorful bird, and he recommended some specific mixes to do that.

As soon as I filled the bird feeders, my yard was filled with sparrows and their ilk. Nothing colorful at all. I waited and waited and waited and still I had only pretty ordinary sparrows in my yard.

I wasn’t getting what I wanted so I quit feeding the birds.

It took me a while to realize I had the wrong attitude about this. What if my mother had refused to feed me because I wasn’t her prettiest child (and I wasn’t!)? Would Jesus refuse to love me because I wasn’t colorful enough for him? Would he deny me his love because I didn’t live up to some standard of perfection? I hardly think so.

So I’ve gone back to spending a ridiculous amount of money on bird feeders, bird seed, suet, and the like. And the sparrows have rewarded me by coming back.

With a new attitude, I am finding myself charmed by watching flocks of gray-brown birds twittering around my back yard, indulging in the nourishment they need to thrive. All of God’s feathered creatures are welcome at the RR backyard table, colorful or not. Just like all of us are welcome at Christ’s table.

Prayer: Help me to remember that all of God’s creatures deserve our love and care, not simply those who are pleasing to our sight. Help us to do what we can when we can to feed, clothe, and shelter all creatures who inhabit this Earth. All of them are worthy of our love.

Joan Richardson

April 3, 2022

It Was Jesus

Read Acts 20:34-35

I was listening to one of those “radiothons” on WJR for the Salvation Army. I normally give to them as well as several others near the end of the year.

As the “prattle” went on, I was responding to the radio with, “yeah, yeah” “oh sure” “of course” and many other non-responses; above it all with condescending comments.

I guess God had heard enough! All of a sudden I was taken over by a sense that I had to contribute. Not only contribute, but how much! I never had a feeling so strong or so directed and specific.

I was reminded of a thing that happened to country singer Roy Clark. He was on stage performing in a small town where 90% of the people worked for a large company in town. Unfortunately, the plant had just closed. Roy tells how he was between songs when he heard a voice say, “Don’t take the money.”
The voice wasn’t out loud, but he heard it. He looked up and said, “what?” The voice came again: “Don’t take the money.”
When it came time for them to pay him, Roy said no to the money – and to a specially engraved shotgun valued at $800. He said that in no uncertain terms, according to a young reporter who was taking notes. Roy told the reporter, “Don’t say it was Roy Clark; it was Jesus. Make sure you say that.”

In my case, I didn’t hear a voice, but I didn’t need one. The message was clear. The other day I was thumbing through my check register and noticed the donation. I started thinking of the Bible where it says “it is better to give than receive.” I had that pleasure, but it made me wonder about who had I helped, and probably how many. Whatever the answer to this is, they did not have the chance to give, but no doubt were grateful to receive.

Thank you, God, for directing me when I needed You.

Jack van Becelaere

There by the Grace of God go I!

April 2, 2022

His Loving Family

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” – John 1:12
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:26

Many years ago, when our children were still young and we were new to the church, we were trying to decide whether to go to the church’s winter retreat at Lake Louise. We had been for a couple of years; however, it was getting harder for the five of us in the room provided. We decided to ask the children if they wanted to go. Our children spoke up immediately and said that they wanted to spend the weekend with our church family.

This delighted me to no end. My children felt that GPUMC and its members were a part of their extended family, and they were happy to get involved in the Christian based activities the church provided. We didn’t feel this close family-like tie with our previous church. It was nice that all of us have found a church where we felt that we belonged and still feel that way today.

We are delighted to have GPUMC as our church family, but more importantly, we are blessed that through faith in Christ Jesus we are all children of God and are members of his loving family.

Steve Sicklesteel

April 1, 2022

Youth in Mission

Read: 1 Timothy 4:12

For over twenty plus years Jack and I were fortunate to spend winters in Florida. We attended a church in St. Petersburg Beach. They had a junior and senior youth group, led by the same person, both very large and active.

Every year they went to a different city to do charity work. This year about 35-40 senior youth are going to Paris, Florida for a week.

One Sunday in the spring before they leave for their trip they are in charge of a Sunday worship service. It is always an enlightening service, and has some beautiful singing.

Our own youth group here is not as large by number, but every year (except in the pandemic) they go to Kentucky to help some less-fortunate families. Our youth are always so cheerful and excited to share their experiences with us.

Let us pray our trip this year will be able to go. And also a big thanks to the adults who have given up vacation time to chaperon their trip.

Sara Wooton