Content from June 2024
Service Lasts a Lifetime
Another wonderful week of Vacation Bible School has finished, and I’ve had a few days to reflect on all the amazing ways I saw God moving during that week. Children came into the church building with excited faces and left smiling, laughing, and singing each day. I overheard children telling their parents about all the cool things they learned and did during Bible story time, the fun games they played outside during recreation, how they liked the snack they ate,…
The Good Samaritan: A Lesson in Compassion
The parables of Jesus are timeless, offering wisdom even today through simple, yet profound stories. One of the most well-known and impactful parables is the story of the Good Samaritan. It transcends cultural boundaries, speaks to the core of human empathy, and is a beautiful story of the love Jesus expects from us as His Church. You can find this parable in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-37. The story begins with a lawyer asking Jesus, “Teacher, what…
Juneteenth and the Christian Call to Stand Against Oppression
Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth,” is not merely a date on the calendar but a powerful marker in American history. It signifies the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. This day signified the end of their bondage and the dawn of freedom. As Christians, it is essential to see Juneteenth through the lens of our faith. The Lord gives righteousness…
“B” is for Busy
As a teacher, I’ve learned how to make really great lists. Every lesson plan is nearly organized with bullet points; each of my grocery lists organized by type. As a new mom, I have acquired even more lists- a list for car rides, a list of baby foods to try, a list of the ones she likes (and dislikes). Here’s an example of a To-Do list from a few weeks ago: get babysitters submit grades organize band rooms get awards…
Anchor in the Storm
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown I stood at the window, watching the trees swaying in the wind, and worried about the latest weather alert blasting from my iPhone. As I watched, storm clouds gathered until darkness encompassed the afternoon sky. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Soon, sheets of rain drenched the ground with standing water flooding low-lying areas of the yard. When the thunder boomed, shaking the house, I could hear my mom’s shouts of…