DEVOTIONS

. . . It's the best way to have a real picture made! Did that make you open this message because we referenced taking things off? Ha! It's a different meaning of taking things off! Yesterday’s message centered around that idea and how our lives CAN change if we are mindful about that which we see AND that which we believe.

Sometimes in life, we face situations that cause us to question and doubt. We wonder if God exists and is good, then why does life end up working out the way that it does. We ask questions. “Where are you, God? Why am I having to walk this particular path of the journey?” We wait for answers. “Show yourself, God. If you love me, reveal yourself to me.”

Do you ever find yourself humming? You know, putting your lips together and with your mouth closed, making music sounds. According to Wikipedia, a hum is when a sound is made by producing a wordless tone with the mouth closed, so the sound is forced to emerge from the nose. It can also be called phonation or vibration.

When Lexi Hernandez, the pastor of our Growth Co Campus (a faith community for 20 - 30-year-olds), walks into a room, you are drawn to her. Her energy and passion are contagious and if Lexi isn’t smiling, you know something is up. This week she walked into staff meeting and clearly, something was “off.” We begin every staff meeting discussing where we’ve seen God at work at West. When it was Lexi’s turn, she began to speak but quickly stopped and admitted she was processing/working through a bad experience in a previous meeting and was going to need a minute. In the safe space that the staff provides for one another, we asked her to share with us what had happened that upset her so much.

It isn’t uncommon to have an “item” that we keep around us that brings us comfort. A “security” item like a favorite stuffed animal, a blanket, or a religious symbol like a cross, a scripture card, or a rosary. It’s presence calms our fears, makes us feel secure, and brings us joy.

This week I was gifted with an anonymous letter. While I don’t give those any merit as far as “actions taken” - I do always read them to see what I can learn. 

There is one who wasn't paradoxical. . .

When Jesus was talking to his disciples, his friends, he was trying to prepare them for his departure. They were bewildered and there was one among them that just couldn’t refrain from speaking up when something wasn’t what it seemed or something did not make sense. 

A Daily Lenten Devotion When Tom and I began dating, we quickly realized that although we had so much in common, our brains functioned in very different ways. His = logical, thoughtful, detailed, and one that finishes things. Mine = creative, ...

A Daily Lenten Devotion Can you think of a time that you were given freedom to do something you’d always really wanted to do and you LOVED it?? There was no going back to the way it used to be! When I first began my career in ministry 26 ...

Growing up I used to be mortified because two times a year my father would insist on going to Fort Bragg for grocery shopping. He was career military, serving in 3 wars, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and felt strongly that he should utilize the career military perks that came once he retired.