“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring.” (Acts 17:24-28)
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Four weeks ago Ed and I found out we had Covid 19. We were two weeks into it on a beautiful, clear, crisp fall morning when I found myself looking upward towards heaven and some things came into very clear focus – the biggest thing being God’s continued grace, mercy and presence in our lives.
Recently I heard several college-age young people being interviewed. They were asked to share what they knew about 9/11 (2001). Their comments were shocking to me! In summarizing those comments, it boiled down to this, “No, I do not know much about 9/11, but why remember the past? We need to move on!”
Every night before going to bed I listen to God’s Word being read to me from the Ezra Project! Recently it has been from the book of Job. Job lived in the land of Uz, between 2000-1800 B.C., which was located near the desert land between Damascus and the Euphrates. Job was quite wealthy. He had thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock. His family was large and influential. Job 1:3 tells us he was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
Recognizing what we can change and what we cannot change is often a real struggle.
I am a fixer – wanting everyone and everything to be okay, but as we all know that will never happen this side of heaven. My father had beautiful handwriting. Growing up I desired to write just like him. I practiced and practiced trying to perfect my letters with precision and accuracy. There is just something about beautiful handwriting that speaks to my heart and leaves a lasting impression! Receiving a letter or card from a friend who does calligraphy captivates my attention. I know each word was written with love and care, causing me to linger and admire.
Most of the world lives in a constant state of war and unrest, and more and more we see that becoming true of the U.S.
If we were to be truly honest, 2020 seemed to bring the “ME” out in our individual lives, our country, and the world. As of today, May 26, 2021, the “ME” is growing exponentially Bigger and BIGGER.
How did we get here? This last year has found me going through closets, drawers, cupboards and the garage determining what to keep and what to eliminate. I formed some criteria to help in the process:
1. Is it useful? 2. Do I really need it? 3. Is it of value to me or someone else? Matt. 26:36-46 and Luke 22:41-44
As I am sitting in my quiet place watching it lightly snow, I find the Lord speaking to me about the word “separation.” It is hard being separated from my family, friends, church family, the sweet lady at Wal-Mart that I enjoy talking to or just the face-to-face contact with people I so miss! On Saturday, preparing for Easter service, a precious gal whom I usually hug looked at me from a distance and said “air hug.” Matt. 6:19-34
As I was praying about what the Lord would have me share today, the word “faith” kept appearing on my radar. That word is at the very core of Who God is. Remember having to go to the doctor for vaccinations? Was it something you looked forward to? Of course not. Then why do it? To protect our very lives.
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AuthorKathy Niswender is the wife of our pastor. Archives
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