A Blessing (Matthew 6:25-37)

Our lives and our problems will continue to unfold in this beautiful progression we call time.   In the gospel of Matthew these words of Jesus are retold and written as prose.  I’ve taken the liberty to turn them into a more poetic format.   May the words of Jesus offer you comfort today. “Therefore I

Time for Comfort: Making Peace (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.” -Jeremiah 29:11 I have spent so much time and energy in planning mode: rewriting to do lists, juggling calendar requests, running from one event to the next.

Time for Comfort: Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow (James 4:14)

“Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.” -James 4:14 “Anticipation is half the realization,” my grandma once told me when I inquired why she was so opposed to surprises. My maternal grandmother was a wonderful and warm woman. A hard worker and prayer warrior, I don’t think she knew a stranger! While

Time for Comfort: The Lie of Efficiency (Luke 10:41-42a)

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;  there is need of only one thing.’” Luke 10: 41-42a Have you ever noticed the irony that technology brings into our lives? The faster things can be done the more we do. The more we do, the more new things

Time for Comfort: Facing Our Limits (Genesis 1:14-15)

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so.”

Time for Comfort: There is never enough (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

“What has been will be again,what has been done will be done again;    there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 Let’s face it, our culture is infatuated with busy-ness.  It is easy to be sucked in.  We stack our days full of activities.  For many of us the worth we assign ourselves is directly

Advent Comfort: Making Space (Matthew 1:18-25)

“But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid…” -Matthew 1:20 Decision fatigue. Analysis paralysis. Perfect is the enemy of good. We’ve all been there! If only God would send an angelic messenger my

Advent Comfort: Christmas Prayer (Luke 1:46-56)

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” -Luke 1:46 Holy God,Along with MaryWe are people of our time and placeWe wonder at the miracle of Your SonOur hearts sing praiseWhile our minds struggle to accept the mysteryWith our arms reachingWe welcome the unexpected gifts of this season. Thank youAgain

Advent Comfort: Hope is Alive (Luke 1:39-45)

“And blessed is she who believed that here would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” -Luke 1:45 While many of us are doing the things of this week with much haste, this familiar story of scripture offers new depths, promises and surprises when we make space to reflect.  Mary

From Surviving to Thriving: Radical Acceptance (Comfort: Psalm 139:19-21)

“O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me— those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!” -Psalm 139:19-21 This is not the life I thought I’d be living. Whether it’s the sleepless nights of new parenthood, the stressful realities of