The joy of the Lord is my strength...

 A particular verse caught my attention during my pastor's sermon this morning, and I must admit, my mind wandered in its own direction.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is my strength.  Nehemiah 8:10

Restored!

 Message given to my church on December 12, 2021

Psalm 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Amen.

Restored

Several years ago, I was asked by my friend to come and play piano at her church in the summer when the regular organist was not available to play.  It seems like a simple question, will you play?  But it was a difficult answer for me, because I had left a previous church after a painful breach, and had not attended any church in well over a year.  Although I occasionally watched a service online, I didn’t know whether I would ever attend any church again on a regular basis.  

My faith in God never wavered, God is and was at the center of my life, my foundation for everything - but my faith in my fellow Christians was definitely in question.  I was disillusioned, broken down, my desire to worship with others was destroyed.  Satan had, at least for that moment, won, but I didn’t realize it because I was lost in the wreckage.

Prepare Ye The Way

Message presented to my church on December 5, 2021, the Second Sunday of Advent

Texts for the day:  Malachi 3:1-7, Philippians 1:2-11, Luke 3:1-20 (The Proclamation of John the Baptist)  Please read the texts prior to reading this post to get the full meaning of the message for today.

Psalm 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Amen.

A man I know, T, spent his life working and planning toward the day when he would retire, and he and his wife would be able to travel and explore the world and enjoy the family and life that they created together.  He did everything right, by the world’s standards.  He saved his money, he built a retirement fund, he planned and dreamed about that future day when everything would be fulfilled and they would reap the reward of all their labors.  He was all set.  He was prepared.

In a Mirror Dimly...

My message given in church on Sunday, July 25, 2021

The readings for the day:

• Psalm 136:1-9
• Genesis 9:8-17 
• Ephesians 3:14-21 
• Mark 6:45-56 

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In 1 Corinthians 13 verse 12 we read,

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face.  Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Sit with this verse for a moment while I tell a story.