When the United Methodist Women in Faith gather, something special happens. It’s more than breakfast and a lesson—it’s the spirit of community. At our prayer breakfasts, we pause to reflect and ask ourselves a meaningful question, writing down our answers to see how God is working in all of us. At our latest gathering, we asked a simple yet challenging question: “Where is God calling me to extend more grace and love to those around me, even in challenging situations?”…
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown We’d circled St. Patrick’s Day on the 2007 calendar months ago, long before pink and white azaleas bloomed around city squares and yellow pollen dusted everything. Instead, our own shamrocks in the closet changed everything. It happened because a little black cat showed up outside our door the previous December. She shivered in the damp coastal cold, her fur no match for the wind. She fit in two hands at…
Some of the best theological lessons don’t come from textbooks or a sermon series. Sometimes, they show up on paper slips written by teenagers on a Sunday afternoon. During one of our recent lessons, the students in our Youth Ministry talked about kindness. Not just the general idea of being nice, but real, intentional acts of love. We asked our students a simple question: “What is one small thing you could do this week to make a difference for someone…
Most of us like to be in control of our plans and expectations. Lent, however, invites us to let go of that need and open ourselves to God’s grace. Surrender might feel frightening, but it isn’t the same as losing. In God’s kingdom, letting go of control leads to real freedom and opens our lives to God’s grace. The Heavy Burden of Control We spend a lot of time planning for the future and trying to manage our relationships. Planning…
People often see the wilderness as a place of struggle—dry, lonely, and tough. But in scripture, it’s more than a place of testing. It’s where we can connect deeply. When daily life quiets down, we finally have space to listen. In this second week of Lent, we’re invited to step back from our busy routines and enter a spiritual wilderness. This isn’t about being alone physically, but about quieting our hearts. It’s about lowering the world’s noise so we can…
Lent invites us to step into the desert. It’s a time to pause, leave behind daily busyness, and come closer to God. During this first week of Lent, we remember a familiar story: Jesus in the wilderness. Before beginning His ministry, Jesus spent forty days fasting and praying. When He was physically weakest, He faced temptation. Many of us see temptation as a sign we’ve failed, as if being tempted means we’ve already done something wrong. But Jesus shows us…
