Friday, June 27, 2014

Summer


I'm taking a summer hiatus from blogging. Praying you all have a meaning-full, rest-full, joy-full, peace-full season! 
May you experience our loving, mysterious God in glorious and transformative ways!

 Let me know if you miss the communique (or not!). 
I hope to see many of you this summer. 
Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 
Love and Light, 
Carol 


"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jdCarol 

Friday, June 20, 2014

Without fear...


What would life be like if we lived without fear?
I'm not talking about running with scissors or walking on the balcony railing of a 10 story building. I'm talking about life interactions. Life experiences. Life relationships. Life choices.


     -Without fear of abandonment?
     -Without fear of failure?
     -Without fear of being alone?
     -Without fear of hunger?
     -Without fear of violence?
     -Without fear of pain?
     -Without fear of judgment?
     -Without fear of criticism?
     -Without fear of the powerful?
     -Without fear of weakness?
     -Without fear of our own uniqueness?
     -Without fear of derision?
     -Without fear of rejection?
     -Without fear...
     -Without fear...
Is fear keeping me from opening the door to my neighbor? Is fear preventing me from knowing myself? Is fear causing me to create "safe" little boxes like closed-door churches, rigid parochial schools, and "brickwall" families? Is fear foiling my service to the Kingdom? Is fear keeping me from being vulnerable and honest? 

Is fear holding me back from living in faith knowing and believing and acting that "God so LOVES...That God is LOVE...that perfect LOVE casts away fear...that LOVE is the fulfillment of the law?" Is fear impeding my openness to let the SPIRIT fruit LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL ripen within me that my interactions with others produce a cornucopia of sustenance and delight?  

Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here on earth, here in me, as it is in heaven!

Worship this Sunday: 9 AM
      Coffee time: 10:15 AM
Sunday School: 10:30 AM
Brother Mick's message is "Fear Factors" with his sermon text from Matthew 10:24-39. Mick says in his presermon notes, "I want us to explore our fears, real or imagined, and the ways they impact, deter or hamper our abilities to do the will of God."

Merv Stoltzfus (Jan) will be facilitating the class with no name that is meeting in the Discovery room in the 1960 hall. I'll be in the Upper Room. You choose!

Prayer for today: Creator God, when we look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have made; who are we, that you care about us. fragile humans? Yet You created us in Your image!  How majestic is Your name in all the earth!Psalm 8  As we are wrapped in your love, gentle God, take away our fears that prevent us from truly living, clearly seeing, and gently loving. Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven. In JESUS name. Amen. 

 Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,
Carol


"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

Friday, June 13, 2014

At one time or another most of us have difficulty sleeping. I'm not talking about the "baby's awake AGAIN" difficulty, but rather the challenge of drifting off to dreamland or remaining there.  Over the years I've tried various methods to fall asleep or remain in slumber or at the very least achieve a relaxed state.  Some of my friends get up and clean; nope, not going to happen.  Here are a few tips that have sometimes worked for me and other times, well, not so much.

  • Yahweh breathing. Slow deep breath in "YAH;" slow deep breath out "weh" 
  • Pray a repetitive alphabet prayer such as, "May your mercy and grace surround Anna this night, O Lord. May your mercy and grace surround Bob this night, O Lord.... May your mercy and grace surround Queen Latifah this night, O Lord..." 
  • Meditate on Psalm 4:8. "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." 
  • Make up a story and live there for a little while
  • Get out of bed and draw/doodle
  • Get out of bed and write repetitive statements such as, "May the light of the Divine fill me with peace, acceptance, and wisdom this night." 
What works for you? 

This week there are no services at Ridgeview as there is community worship  at 10 AM in the park for Heritage Days. Gap Men's Choir will be singing. 

May God's blessing pour out on Kelsey and her new little baby, Keith Michael! :) 

Prayer for today: 
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like a mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both people and beasts. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among people find refuge in the shadow of your wings. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36)  May your love and blessing rest upon Kelsey and her sweet baby. Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. Amen. 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,
Carol



"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

Friday, June 6, 2014

wind 

Twirling, whirling, spinning, falling... When the wind was especially feral, my younger sister and I would go out to our spacious, front Illinois prairie lawn, stretch out our arms and spin. Like tumbleweeds, like pinwheels, like windmills, like helicopters, like mini-tornadoes, our skinny little wings stretched out as far as they could with hopes of catching enough lift to carry us high into the sky.  I am absolutely convinced that I once became airborne.

Breathe, Spirit of the Living God! Swirl and Dance! 
Spread your nourishing, nurturing, delicious, life-giving fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Spirit Wind blow!

(The link "wind" at the top of the page takes you to a short clip of trees in my backyard dancing in the wind.)

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday; the believers were all together in one place, and suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind...Brother Mick's sermon text is I Corinthians 12:3-13. He says, "I am intrigued as I read this passage from I Corinthians and place it in conjunction with the Pentecost passage from Acts (2). It leads me to wonder what variety of gifts were bestowed upon the gathering of people that first day when the Spirit was poured out upon them...We continue to seek out that gifting and resourcing when we participate in the life of the church and draw closer to God."

This week the worship service is at 10:15 AM with classes at 9 AM.  Young adults, couples, college students, career folks-- please join me at 9 AM in the 1960 classroom for a light breakfast and time of "catch up." :)

Our ingathering for June is rather inJEANious, as we are collecting used jeans to be donated to the Material Resource Center which is part of MCC. Material Resource Center The jeans are recycled into sale-able items such as comforters.

There are a number of you experiencing challenges today.  I will hold you in prayer throughout the day. 

Would one of you Tremont readers eat some yummy turkey and a strawberry shortcake for me? Tremont Turkey Festival   8-)



Prayer for today: (Psalm.104) Creator God,you are clothed with honor and majesty. You are covered with light as a garment and ride on the wings of the wind! How abundant are your works!  The earth is your handiwork. Yonder is the sea, great and wide teeming with incredible creatures. The moon marks the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. God of all creation, we are yours for you have made us. 
     Open our eyes and hearts to see you in the indescribable beauty that surrounds us; open our eyes and hearts to seek you in the broken, ugly places that your transforming power may be made manifest. Open our eyes and hearts to see you in each other; sometimes that's really difficult!  Some of us are facing really difficult challenges today. Make yourself known to us, gentle God, even in these painful and challenging circumstances that Your peace which transcends all understanding will still our anxious thoughts and hearts.    
     Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name! AMEN. 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,
Carol



"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd