Look up!

Last week was like a hangover from 2024.

This week feels like we have gotten into the new year, 2025, in earnest.

Our church is growing, and new people require attention, while longer members still need attention, too. That causes a degree of stress.

So we need to keep in mind that we must be patient with leadership (like the pastor/chaplain) and each other. We all live with some degree of stress.

The world is in turmoil with wars, rumor of coming wars, environmental issues, c

What's coming??

We have begun the new year. Our church family is full of anticipation, expectation and jubilation!

We have anticipation that God is going to do something wonderful. Because He has brought quite a few new people into our community of faith, we are watching for how He wants us to mature in faith, help our community and be His hands and heart this year. We are helping newbies to find their place in the family. There are children, parents, young adults, widows, single parents,

2025 is coming!

It's the last day of the year. 2024 is about to go into the history books.

It was a crazy year. 

It was a leap year. 

It was an insanely contentious election year. The incumbent was unceremoniously dumped from the ticket and the VP was forced on the electorate without a primary. The winner became the 45th and 47th President. In the process there was a deadly shooting at a rally that wounded him and other attempts were made later, too. 

Wars: All year Russia vs Ukraine (who we

JOY to the WORLD, the LORD has COME!

Joy to the world! The LORD is come.

Let Earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing!

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This well-known Christmas anthem is a mini Bible lesson.

In a world where Biblical morality wrestles against cultural anarchy and people have bought into the idea that we deserve "it" or wanting something without the need to work for it, Jesus comes into the darkened minds of humanity and lights the way to Truth.

The LORD has c

Peace in a chaotic world.

Christmas is a time of parties, music, food, friends and family.

We shop 'til we drop looking for the perfect gifts.

We pull out books & boxes for grandma's best cookie recipes.

We buy sparkling dresses & new clothes for the parties.

Our schedules fill up and we sleep less.

SO much to do and so little time!

Why? What are we really celebrating? What are we doing?

In the chaos and busyness, we are tired, overworked, frazzled and worried about so many little things... that seem impo

And it begins.... HOPE is the theme.

We are done with the turkey....soup, stew. gravy, stuffing, pot pies.... ugh.

We are moving on. 

What's next??

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!

We started last Sunday with the Advent season. 4 weeks of preparing ourselves to greet a special person,,, to be ready for a special event. That is a definition of Advent.

Yeshua/Jesus is the special person.

His return is the special event.

We are no longer looking for a baby to be born. That has already happened! The wisemen have moved on. Mary

Turkey Talk

It's time to talk turkey.... ok, at least to tell the truth:

Are you using "common courtesy?"

You know: Please. Thank you. Excuse me.

It is the little common courtesies that grease the wheels of polite society. It is in the polite requests: Would you please pass the potatoes?  That we communicate respect and gentle kindnesses.

It is in the responses that recognize with appreciation that we are receiving something: Thank you! that makes us feel part of an exchange of words and

Blessings for stressing

We're in the run up for the season of Thanksgiving into Christmas.

So many people are stressing out about so many things.

We just came through a long and arduous political season. There were daily rallies, so much rhetoric, so much protesting, so many angry talking heads, so many threats and fears and anxieties, and then the election itself. Every election somebody wins and somebody loses. That is stressful for half the country. This election was no exception.

So now comes a

What are you thinking right now?

Have you made a habit of thinking about what you are thinking?

I mean, thoughts continuously run through our minds: what to eat, where to go, things to do, work to get done, people to contact, what to wear, making lists, etc. Unless you are the average man and then I am told that it can be a little like an echo chamber.... my husband told me that. 

Have you noticed that what you think influences how you feel?

Think about it... it's a rainy day and you think: "Ugh it's so nast

The unity of community

We are a growing church family. Yay, God!

We have new families, retirees, single parents, widows and those who attend without their spouse. And we have a new crop of kids.

There is so much joy in welcoming the new folks, but growth is also messy.

Everyone comes with expectations, baggage, burdens, fears/anxieties, and hope.

As Chaplain, I work to get to know each of them. What makes them want to attend HERE? What is their experience in churches past? What are their goals? Issu

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (to me!)

What a day we had this past Sunday!

The sky was blue and the weather fallish and cool.

The church seemed full and the buzz of voices was high spirited and friendly. Everyone was smiling in anticipation of what God had in store that day.

Worship was spirited and upbeat raising our hearts to Father God. And the message was, "Fear.... NOT!" and then we turned to the day's treat!

Hoving Home women's choir were our guests and did a lovely job. They ladies shared our lunch celebrati

Boooooooo!

It's that time of year, again.

The incredible finale to the Feasts of the Lord are complete for now. The sukkah is being dismantled and put away for next year (unless Jesus comes and we meet in Father's house instead!) Pumpkin everything is available everywhere and Fall clothes are feeling warm and cozy.

This next week will bring Halloween festivities and every restaurant is decorated with gross body parts, gruesome decor and models of dead zombies or skeletons or monsters.

Time to set up the tent for a FEAST!

This week we celebrate the last of the 7 feasts/fasts of God as recorded in Leviticus 23. 

There are 7 assigned Holy Days for God's revealed plan and 3 (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles) are High Holy Days.

With Passover being the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, 

Pentecost being the gift of God via the Holy Spirit to all Believers,

the last Holy Feast is Tabernacles, or Sukkot (a sukkah is a temporary tabernacle or dwelling.)

We will build our church's sukkah and decorate with

God's Calendar

God's calendar is so interesting to me.

If God (& Jesus) thought that revealing their plans to humanity was so important, it seems to me that we should take an interest in it!

Personally, I keep a calendar for me, my mate and my church so that we can coordinate for events that are coming our way.

God did that same for us, and over the centuries, divisions between Jews, Christians and the world have changed the official times, seasons and calendar,

But looking at Leviticus 23,

Listen for the Trumpet

The ram's horn is a special instrument. God hears the blast of the ram's horn/shofar. He ordained it for use. It is the blast of that trumpet that makes Him listen.

This week commemorates Rosh HaShanah, the New Year. However, before the temple was torn down, it was actually called Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. This is an amazing moed/holy day on God's calendar.

Our church will be celebrating and learning of the awesome power of the prophecy of this day on Sunday. Next w