This past week I spent a week off to spend time with Audrey as daycare takes a two-week break, in between the school year and the summer program. We played outside, went on walks, went to the infant story hour at the new Marion Public Library, read books at home in...
As some of you know, the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church held a special session on May 23rd. This was a session to allow 83 United Methodist churches in Iowa to disaffiliate and begin a new denomination. This is about 11% of the UM churches in...
“I just wanted to offer my thanks and much gratitude on behalf of the women at ICIW for the notes from the Nourished community. The women were very touched. It’s one thing for me to tell them that folks on the outside think about them, care about them, and...
Things always seem to go wrong at the most inconvenient times, don’t they? You get pulled over for speeding when you’re late dropping your child off to school. You hit all the red lights and then come to locked doors at the post office when you need to get something...
“‘Come, follow me,’ he said, ‘and I’ll show you how to fish for people.'” – Matthew 4:19 (CEB) The summer months are almost here! This wonderful time invites us to enjoy the great outdoors and visit places we have never been. As...
Lent is certainly not the joy and peace of Advent, is it? We just celebrated that time of year it seems like. Christmas carols, movies, chocolates and candy, gift giving, decorating, etc. Lent doesn’t necessarily bring that. This season is the transition to spring as...
The Love Commandment “I give you a new commandment: Love each another. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” – John 13:34 (CEB) This reading from John’s Gospel brings us to the night Jesus gathered with the disciples in the Upper Room. Scripture...
A recent story on the radio was about a woman trying to save her dog who had fallen into an icy lake. Every time the dog tried to get out, the ice broke and the pooch was back in frigid water again. In her love for the dog, she carefully slid out over the frozen water...
Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the season of Lent, this period of 40 days and 40 nights. Right, it’s the journey to the cross. It’s a solemn season. We just celebrated the birth of Christ, and now our attention turns to his death by crucifixion. We recognize...
Saint Augustine, the Fourth Century Bishop of Hippo, wrote in his book, Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Over the centuries these words have described the human condition. Many of us have...
