Bob DeLong Kid’s Hope and Houston reVision Mentor, Joy and Genesis Class member Colossians 3:12 (NIV) Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Reflection: I was reared in a devotedly Christian home.  My parents grew up on family farms and were Deacons in our small Brethren church. The family was heavily involved in church activities throughout the week. Church, work around the house, school, music, sports, and visiting relatives were our life. My parents were quiet people, who taught and led by example. My mother stopped working to [...]

Mary Schuler ​​Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think [...]

Justine Vandenbrink   Scripture and Translation: John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”   Reflection: Remember when you were a kid and you just couldn’t WAIT to become an adult? Like all your worries would be solved once you hit adulthood and could run your own life. Gone would be the days of stressing about school, homework, acne, and fitting in. But once you finished school you realized adulting isn’t all it’s cracked [...]

Jenna Lindley   Luke 2:10-14, KJV 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and [...]

Shelby Olive Isaiah 60:2-3 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Reflection: I’m just going to come right out and say it: I’m a glass-half-empty kind of gal. It’s not that I actively look for things to see in a negative light. But I find that even when I try to “look on the bright side”, I can’t seem to ignore the problems. Now, being someone who has at [...]

Starting Breath Prayer: Inhale: Here I am Exhale: A servant of the Lord Luke 2:39-56 39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord [...]

Molly Ward Scripture: Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,     for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go,     for to you I entrust my life. Reflection: I embrace mornings. Perhaps this is due to all the special mornings I spent with my Grandfather.  He was a morning go-getter (because days are short and adventures and helping others are endless).  I was often his sidekick or at least one of his sidekicks since there were 7 grandchildren that he spoiled and allowed us to witness his love of [...]

Ann Pierce Arnett   Nehemiah 7:6,73; 8:1, 3, 9-10   These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.... the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.   When the seventh month came—the people of Israel being settled in their towns—all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the [...]

Belinda Weatherly Jeremiah 29:11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Reflection This passage is from the prophet Jeremiah’s letter to the Hebrew exiles in Babylon. Most of us have not experienced exile, but being uprooted from our comfortable lives is not uncommon. When I was young my good friends and I were part of an innovative project that was enjoying success and even some notoriety. My friends and I were thrilled to learn that our leader had [...]