On March 25, 1999, Pope John-Paul II, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, called upon the world's 404,000 priests to teach the faithful how to pray. In obedience to the holy Pontiff, "The Catholic Doors Ministry" has compiled thousands of Catholic prayers into A Treasure of Catholic Prayers.   The world's largest, most popular collection, a treasure of 3,486 prayers, can be found on the internet.  

The appeal for many people is having ready-made prayers available to them at a moments notice.  This is indicative of many things in our society.  We live in a world where people are used to having things done for them, such as ready-made meals, online and automatic banking, and telephones that can answer all our questions. 

Instant gratification is a way of life for us.  But what impact does that have on us as a society and as individuals?  I am concerned that if everything is done for us, we don't gain as much as if we had to do and think for ourselves.

God wants to hear our thoughts, concerns, and areas of thanksgiving.  He wants more than just recitations of someone else's words.  Let us commit to spending some time in conversation with God.

We will never know what life has in store for us in any given year, in any given month, on any given day.  Severe trials may overtake us when we least expect them.  Sometimes, when times of joy are all around us, a sudden tragedy occurs.  How many of us would be able to confess with the dear apostle Paul these very same words: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

These words kept circling my brain while watching the Olympics for the past week.  So much emphasis is placed on winning that I think we lose sight of an important lesson.  What matters most in life is not winning or losing but how we conduct ourselves.  Whether in sports or in life, Jesus modeled the way we need to conduct ourselves, both in good times and in the midst of trials.  

According to Micah 6:8 (NIV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

If we live by this we will be able to join the saints who can say the very same words as the dear apostle.

Congratulations on finishing the race and having kept the faith!

On July 15, I will be leaving on a mission trip with our High School students.  We will be heading to Rutland, VT for a week of ministry, fun, and fellowship in the name of Jesus.  We team up with an organization called Youth Works, whose main focus is to create extraordinarily fun and significant mission adventures, targeted to the needs and capabilities of youth, ages 12-19.


The primary purpose of Mission Works is to provide life-changing, Christ-Centered mission trips.  Their ministry philosophy is a relational one – one that has at its core a ministry of presence.  It is their deep desire to create and be in relationship with the people they serve.  “We believe that by following Jesus’ example, loving as Jesus loved and embodying a 'Christ-in-the-flesh' model, we will make friends.  We believe it is in real friendship that we give and receive without demeaning each other or stripping one another of dignity.  The work we do on our trips is focused on the work of building relationships.”


My prayer is that, for the students who participate in this experience, for the staff we work with, and for all the people we encounter along the way, the love of Christ is present and hearts are changed.


As you read this, please pray for God’s guidance and grace to be present in this amazing opportunity. 

Summer is here!

It's summertime and Pastor Karen is taking some much needed vacation time.  I will be her guest blogger for a few weeks. 

Summer can be a great time to relax and connect with family and friends.  It can be a great time to travel, to work on special projects, to read, to play, to volunteer, etc.  For some of us it's not much different than the rest of the year.

Whatever your summer is like, I hope that you will take time out to worship.  It can be a blessing to visit other churches when you are out of town.  And of course, I encourage you to join us in Soul-utions whenever you are home.

Terri Hester

“He did not even spare His own Son, but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?” -Romans 8:32

I read a devotional from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the story went something like this.  Two friends were participating in an urban scavenger hunt-style race. The goal was to solve 12 challenges faster than any other team.  Each challenge consisted of solving a riddle, getting to the solution (by foot or public transportation only), and taking a photo.

As they made their way through the city streets, they found that their gear was generating great conversations with strangers.  Hours into the race, they were on their way to accomplishing the last challenge—what they thought was to take a photo of them doing the Hula with a prop.   As believers, they knew that, if God wanted to, He could bring someone in a grass skirt to them!  Yes, it was a silly race, but they knew without a doubt that God was powerful enough to do anything.

Eventually, they ended up finding a prop, taking a photo, and heading for the finish line.  Upon arrival, the race director began confirming their finds. To their surprise, he asked them where the photo was of them doing the limbo. Confused, they replied, “Limbo?  We thought we needed to do the hula!”  He explained that their solution to that riddle was wrong, and that the limbo was the known Hawaiian dance originally from Trinidad.

They looked at each other and laughed. You see, they had been looking for God to bring them what they thought was needed (a grass skirt and the hula dance) and had missed God’s PERFECT provision of what was really needed.   In fact, they had actually walked by a family of four randomly doing the limbo under a chain in an empty parking lot about 20 minutes prior to finishing the race!

What a great reminder for us all.  In our human minds, we often think we know what we need and we go about pursuing it relentlessly.   But do we ever stop to ask God if that’s really what we should be doing?  He is the One with the perfect plan—the answers to all of our riddles in life.  It is only when we are seeking His wisdom and truly asking Him for direction that will we find what we really need.

Around the world, followers of the Christian faith will observe Palm Sunday on April 1. It is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection.  Palm Sunday derives its name from the palm branches that were waved by the crowds of people and strewn in the path of Jesus, as he entered Jerusalem for the Passover riding on a donkey. They shouted: ‘Hosanna!’ believing that Jesus was the Messiah coming to free them from Roman oppression. 

As a symbol of their faith and devotion, many Christians keep the palm crosses which are distributed during Palm Sunday services and hang them in their houses throughout the year.

What other symbols do we keep near us or place in a conspicuous place in order to remind us of the price paid for our eternal place in Paradise.  I keep a broken piece of pottery hanging in my bathroom that helps to remind me of my brokenness and the price paid by Christ for the gift of my salvation.  My heart rejoices every time I see that broken piece of pottery. 

As you celebrate Palm Sunday, may your heart rejoice with the knowledge of the gift that you have been offered.

Lent is a great time for reflection.  It's a time to remember what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross.  It's also a time to examine our spiritual life and make changes to help us prepare for the resurrected Christ.

In Soul-utions we are looking at the last words of Jesus, spoken from the cross.  Join us on this Lenten journey as we discover that those words still hold great meaning for us today.

Nearly nine out of ten people in the United States say they believe in heaven, according to a recent ABC News poll. But what exactly do people think of when they think of an afterlife, and what do they believe is required to get there?   Every culture has wrestled with the question of an afterlife, and most have come to a similar conclusion: The bad end up in Hell, the good go to Heaven.

I believe that I will go to heaven, not because I have earned my way but because I have surrendered my life over to Christ.  What do you believe?   If you think it doesn’t matter what you believe about heaven, THINK AGAIN!  What we think about heaven can be seen in our perspective on life.  Do we have an earthly perspective that focuses on our behaviors here on earth (being honest, kind, loving) or a heavenly perspective where our life reflects the love of Christ, focusing on our salvation and eternal life?

Scripture states:

Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

John 5:24, NKJV: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

So what do you think?????

Glory of the Lord to be Revealed!

The fourth candle on the Advent wreath is often called the Angel’s candle.  The circle is now complete at last, and fills our view with light.  “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,” the prophet once had said, and now the light has come.

So, what do we see in the full light of the wreath?  Look closely … for in the full light of the Advent candles, even now one may begin to see … a cross!  The story begins with the glory of the Lord shining down on Bethlehem.  And at the cross, where darkness fell again, the glory of the Lord  shines.

The world had been waiting so long … centuries.  And now the voice of the Lord is heard saying, “Here I am!”  So what are you waiting for????

May God bless you with Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

Let Fear Give Way to Joy!

The third candle on the Advent wreath is often called the Shepherd’s candle, and its message may well begin by admitting that when the angel of the Lord appeared, the shepherds were afraid.  The words “God is with you” could be a cause of real fear.

But a baby isn’t frightening, and as in the experiences of the shepherd’s who had come before, like David and Moses, fear turned into joy as the presence of the Lord was made known. 

Do we fear as the Lord draws near?   What concerns do we have as we become aware of the presence of God?  Maybe we have concerns that God will see or know too much about us.  Or maybe we worry that God will enter into our lives and take over.  Or maybe we are afraid that if God gets to close he will reject us.

The message of the third candle on the Advent wreath tells us to fear not – The Lord is come!    He has come to all of us with the message of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love!

Welcome to the season of Advent!

What does it mean to be prepared?

Definition of PREPARE

1 a : to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity <prepare food for dinner> b : to put in a proper state of mind <is prepared to listen>

2 : to work out the details of : plan in advance <preparing a campaign strategy>

3 a : to put together : compound <prepare a prescription> b : to put into written form <prepare a report>

Prepare! That is the word of this week’s candle, second in the Advent wreath.  This candle is sometimes called the Bethlehem candle because the history of the little town of Bethlehem may well be a lesson in how to be prepared… or how not to.  Bethlehem was not ready to receive her King!

Are you preparing for the coming of royalty, the advent of the King?  Are you prepared?

A second candle glows now on the Advent wreath to help us see – and hear – the message it proclaims.

Welcome to the season of Advent!



You probably spend more time using your listening skills than any other kind of skill. Like other skills, listening takes practice.

What does it mean to really listen?

Real listening is an active process that has three basic steps.

• Hearing. Hearing just means listening enough to catch what the speaker is saying. For example, say you were listening to a report on zebras, and the speaker mentioned that no two are alike. If you can repeat the fact, then you have heard what has been said.
• Understanding. The next part of listening happens when you take what you have heard and understand it in your own way. Let's go back to that report on zebras. When you hear that no two are alike, think about what that might mean. You might think, "Maybe this means that the pattern of stripes is different for each zebra."
• Judging. After you are sure you understand what the speaker has said, think about whether it makes sense. Do you believe what you have heard? You might think, "How could the stripes to be different for every zebra? But then again, the fingerprints are different for every person. I think this seems believable."

LISTEN is the message of the first candle of ADVENT.  Here in God’s Word is a light that shines beyond the bounds of Bethlehem, beyond the hillsides of the shepherds, for all to see.  He is the Word of God proclaimed for all the world to hear – a message of HOPE!

So what are you HOPING for?  Do you have something to look forward to?  A future! 

That is what this first candle and the first week of Advent is all about, a bright future with God.

Something to give pause and think about…

Death, illness, pain — these are the extreme human conditions that really dare us to count our blessings:  death in the family, a prognosis of a dreaded disease, pain from rejection, misfortune or some irreparable damage. With such intolerable distress, how can you even start to count your blessings?

Let me share my little secret. When I feel that the world is caving in and my tears of hopelessness are just about to fall, I look down at my hands. I stretch my fingers and I start to count ... my blessings. I say to myself, “I have 10 fingers ... 1-2-3-4-5 ... I can move all of them. My skin is clear. I can see. I can hear. I can talk. I can walk. I have a family. I have a home. I have friends. I have a job. Not everyone has these. I am a very lucky person. I am whole and I can cope with this minor setback.”

Try it. In your darkest hour, at the height of a most unfortunate situation, count your blessings by starting with your fingers.
—Ruby Bayan-Gagelonia, “Count your blessings,” October 15, 1999, Suite101.com.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving and count your many blessings naming them one by one.

What is a god?  A god is anything that dominates your life or anything that controls your life.  A career can be a god!  Another person can be a god!  Golf can be a god!  Even good things that God has created for us to enjoy become gods when you give them first place in your life.  God says, “WRONG.”   God deserves first place in our lives.  This is the foundation of our faith – put God first.

Today, American families are dropping like flies.  They’re falling apart faster than we can put them together.  Why is this?  I believe it is happening because the families are built on the wrong foundation.  When we put God first in our life – above our own self, above our spouses, above our children, then the foundation of the family will be secure!

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

              We Wear the Mask

    WE wear the mask that grins and lies,
    It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
    This debt we pay to human guile;
    With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
    And mouth with myriad subtleties.

    Why should the world be over-wise,
    In counting all our tears and sighs?
    Nay, let them only see us, while
            We wear the mask.

    We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
    To thee from tortured souls arise.
    We sing, but oh the clay is vile
    Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
    But let the world dream otherwise,
            We wear the mask!

 As we enter into the season of fall, with our masks and carved pumpkins, let us reflect on the masks that we wear and remember that God can see what lies behind the mask.  We can hide nothing from our Lord.  Thanks be to God for loving and accepting us “just as we are.” 

We are constantly bombarded with others wanting us to "understand" one thing or another, but that sort of begs the question, doesn't it? We are still left with the fundamental question, "what does it mean to understand something?" Teachers almost universally seek to have their students learn and understand the subject matter they are teaching.

As we study the scriptures, meditate on the Word, and pray, we begin to “understand” what our faith is all about.  But, what does it mean to understand faith?  If someone says he or she understands what faith is, then he or she should be able to explain it to others.  Faith, simply stated, is believing in God.

Jesus was a great teacher and spent much of his ministry trying to teach the disciples and others the great message about faith and salvation.  Do you really understand it?  Ask yourself this question: what does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?   Can you explain it to someone else?

Many of the greatest achievements begin with the empowering words of encouragement. When someone is feeling insecure, unsure, or apprehensive about taking constructive action or pursuing favorable opportunities, you should convey to them that you believe that they are capable and that their efforts are worthwhile.

1.    Recognize the person's struggle.

2.    Be positive.

3.    Be sincere.

4.    Inspire a healthy outlook.

The important thing is to do it!!!

At a gathering of senior pastors and spouses of the hundred largest United Methodist churches in the United States, a discussion took place on how these churches could assist the denomination as a whole in the new reality of ministry.   Statistics indicate that there is a rapid decline in worship attendance and church membership. 

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, faced a similar crisis in his own denomination.  Wesley saw empty churches and, even more disturbing, empty spirits and decided something must be done.  He took to heart the teachingsof the apostle Paul, focusing on our need to become what God had created us to be. 

John Wesley traveled 250,000 miles to preach 40,000 sermons in the countryside.  He did this because the people were there and God wanted him to go.  Wesley realized that in giving our lives away in service to Christ, we find real life and it makes all the difference.

Where is God calling you to serve!   Remember God has gone before you to prepare your path.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view --- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it," -- Atticus Finch

Walk a mile in my shoes is an idiom that means you should try to understand someone before criticizing them.  And as I look at the definition of what it means to understand someone, I realize that it means to personally interpret, or discern the other person.

I believe that God calls each of us to do our best to understand one another.  I read in Scripture that God asks us to love one another, but to do this we must learn who that person is.  I wonder how many of us take the time to really get to know the people in our lives?  We learn just a little about someone and then we tend to be lazy and fill in the blanks with judgement, criticism and opinions that many times are far from reality.

How much better would our relationships be if we spent more time getting to know what makes another person tick?  Do you really know what their likes and dislikes are?  What motivates them or what frustrates them?  What are they passionate about?  And what do they struggle with silently?

Our world would be so much better and more harmonious if we would spend some time just getting to know one another.  Who do you think you know – but don’t really have a clue about?  Maybe you should take some time to get to know the real person!

The Gospel of John paints a picture of Christ’s love for us and how that love shines every day of our lives.  In Chapter 17, Christ speaks about his love for us and how much each of us should show that love to one another.

As I look over the passage, I am stuck by the fact that it does not quantify that love, but makes a broad sweeping statement about our love for those around us.  It’s easy to choose to love our family and friends, but how about that noisy neighbor, or the teenager down the street with a hot rod, or the person who cuts us off while driving down the street.

As I read the scriptures, God is requiring of us to love everyone!  So how can we show this love and acceptance to those in our community?  Is there someone who you need to be more loving towards?

What the world truly needs is more love.  Let’s be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.  Let us follow the example of Christ!