#107of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney Today’s lesson is on the after effects of theft and how we can deal with it. Theft comes in many forms. Physical as in a stolen item. Security as in someone breaking into your home. Emotion as in someone breaking your heart or your innocence. Spiritual when your belief system is torn down by false profits. All of these hurt the soul as many hurt the pocketbook. Last night, after a long day at work, I came…
#103of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney Today’s lesson is about perspective. More than that it is how you can look at one thing and see it from many different points of view. When my youngest was just 28 days old, she needed a lumbar puncture to check for meningitis and sepsis. I wanted to be in the procedure room with her. I took my seat and sat on the side of the doctors, rather than the nurses. I didn’t know that when I took…
#102of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney Today’s lesson is about your soul and letting it shine. Spring may have finally sprung here in Central Illinois. I have my windows open, a short sleeved shirt on, had a potluck at work, and life is great. I know it’s not great for everyone. I had a really rough night with a screaming child in pain and nightmares. It was rough. I could focus on my lack of sleep, my lack of being prepared, but instead, I…
#101of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney Today’s lesson is about the little white lies we tell ourselves. I don’t like people who lie. I want the truth no matter how painful it is. If I don’t know the truth, I can’t fix any problems that may be there. I have been gaining weight. I hate it. I had lost nearly 115 pounds and was doing great. Slowly over time, due to surgery and falling out of routine, I’ve gained most of it back….
#89of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney Today’s lesson is about parenthood and sacrifice. I love my daughters. I would do anything for them. I have been cut, burned, injured preventing my children from getting hurt. I have given up things, not done things, not taken advantage of opportunities for my children to have what they need and want. I would do anything to protect them. I know I am not alone in this. Any of us parents would do anything for our children. Today…
Today’s lesson is about being qualified for service. Or more importantly, the things we tell ourselves to talk ourselves out of service. Today during service, Pastor Wirsing shared three reasons why we think we aren’t qualified: We are too Busy. We aren’t good enough. We don’t want to be rejected. These are very human emotions that we all share. They go beyond service and into our daily lives. When we take the focus away from ourselves and onto what good…
Today’s lesson is about pain. We all have pain. Physical pain, mental pain, spiritual pain, emotional pain. Pain is what defines us and who we are, or so we think. Someone the other day said you are always positive. I said no, but I chose as much as possible to be positive. I can be down in the dumps and complain all the time but it isn’t going to do me any good at all. I have physical pain. My knee is…
Today’s lesson is about appreciation and those little acts that make it all worth it. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t always have the right words, but I try to have the right intent. This weekend was no exception. I was talking to an African-American man on Saturday about the Black Panther movie. How I enjoyed it and how then I said forgive me if I use the wrong words, the directors made a good superhero movie that happened…
Today’s lesson is on the art of compromise. To some compromise is a four-letter word. To others that is what we should strive for. In some leadership training, we say compromise is a lose-lose situation as all parties have to give up something to make a deal. We should instead aim for win-win. As much as I’m an idealist, I know that win-win doesn’t happen all the time. That sometimes compromise is what we search for. Yesterday, I was engaged…
Today’s lesson is on the “Lost Ones”. Yesterday, like many of you, I was horrified to learn of yet another mass school shooting in the United States. 17 dead. 12 injured. Countless lives impacted. I have been praying for those lives lost and impacted. During our Ash Wednesday Service, we prayed for them. I knew today I wanted to write about it. Then it hit me. Talking about gun control doesn’t work. Talking about mental health doesn’t work. Talking about…