As a typical Methodist child of the early 1930s, my first prayers likely began “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Children tend to mimic and absorb that which they see repeatedly, and my parents were a praying pair that left a mark on my heart and head… prayers are powerful. Experiencing others praying for me through several very critical illnesses in childhood left no doubt that prayers were answered. I knew I had been blessed by those prayers. I also began to recognize that sometimes God’s answers are not ones we expect or want to hear, much [...]

Giving ourselves away in generosity and service can be a difficult calling to fulfill.  Like most families, our family faces challenging demands on our time and financial resources. At times it can be a daunting task to meet all of our obligations, and the thought of adding more demands can be overwhelming. When Kristin and I think about generosity, we try to stay grounded with one simple word… gratitude. Growing up we were blessed with parents who lived their lives full of gratitude.  Each Sunday we would watch our parents put a check in the offering plate regardless [...]

When the disciples gathered with Jesus for the Passover meal, Jesus surprised them by washing their feet as if he were their servant. It didn’t seem right. That wasn’t what their Messiah should be doing. Then, as they were eating and praying, Jesus changed the traditional words and told them that every time they shared the bread and drank the wine, they should remember him. And there was that time Jesus asked the disciples to feed all those people on the hillside who had come to hear him speak. Not only did they have to share their friend [...]

Excited as I ever was, I opened the door for my friend who was attending a retreat. We were ecstatic to see each other and ready for a weekend of worship and fun. What could be better than a weekend filled with donuts for breakfast, hours of ping pong and worship sessions? Since my house was the venue for the retreat, my family and I had to do a lot of work to prepare. It was worth it. Once the boys arrived at my house, we headed over to the church for worship. We entered the worship space. [...]

I’ve always had a sense of belonging. I was raised by loving parents who made sure I was in Scouts, ballet, regular attendance at church, and a myriad of other activities. But THEY were the ones who made those commitments for me. As an adult, I was busy raising children and pursuing a career. All extremely satisfying, but not a voluntary commitment to a community. Something was missing. I do remember one day stepping out of my comfort zone. I walked in to a theater stage production company in Albuquerque and said, “I would like to help”. “Great”, [...]