Sun Shine

I don't know about where you are, but here in Duluth, Minnesota it is always a blessing to see the sun shine in the winter!  There's so little light in the day and when it's overcast it feels gloomy and you begin to feel as if there's nothing to do but go to bed.

Today the sun is shining and it's warm! It reminds me of when we let the light of God into our lives, when we take the time to feel the Son shine.  That light disperses the gloom in our souls and lets us reconnect with God and God's world. 

But when there is gloom in our minds and souls it's so easy to block out the light.  Just as we have curtains on the windows that we can pull to keep the light from entering and brightening up our home or office, we can pull curtains over our hearts that can keep God's love and light from entering in.  Those curtains are fear, hate, self-pity, to name just a couple of things.  And we can make those curtains thick or thin - to let in some or none of God's light.

Just like today, with the sun shining and reflecting off of the white snow, filling the world with light and heat, God also shines all around us whether we want God to or not! We have no control over that - the light of the world is with us no matter what.

So, it is up to us whether we let the light in - whether we put on sunglasses, pull the curtains, or stand basking in the light of God's world and God's love.  The choice is ours.  What do you choose?

Blessings,

Pastor Laurie

Contentment

I have been having a number of conversations recently about CONTENTMENT.  What does that mean? And, how does one experience it? 

The dictionary defines CONTENTMENT as: the state of being satisfied. Hmmm. What does that mean?  To be satisfied means to be well pleased or happy with something. 

I like that phrase "well pleased". It has been used in some of the Bible interpretations - God is well pleased with Jesus at his baptism to name one instance.  Well pleased. I think, as people of faith, we should be well pleased because God has taken away our fear of death, so each day should be filled with contentment, right?

There's a story about my grandmother.  Every day she would get up and open the front door.  No matter the weather - hot, cold, sunny, stormy - she would note that it was a beautiful morning! That is what I think of as contentment. Not having to delve into the weather report or have a discussion on global warming before taking a moment to enjoy the world and be well pleased to be alive!

However, if you're like me, contentment, being well-pleased, is not something that comes automatically.  I find I have to intentionally stop myself to note the beauty of my garden or the how pleased I feel as I write or how content I am with my friends.  If I don't stop (and smell the roses as singer Mac Davis once sang) I rush right by the wonders of this life into its problems.

And when I forget to see the beauty and the miracles and the love and laughter that surrounds me, I lose my perspective on life.   Do you ever feel that way? 

Life can get you down if you concentrate only on the negative and don't stop to see all of the wonder and beauty around.  There is so much with which to be well-pleased if we just stop and take note of it. But it has to be intentional.  It has to be something to build into your daily life so that it becomes part of who you are and how you live out a faithful life.

God is well-pleased with each of us - isn't it time we are well-pleased with this life we have?  May you find contentment this week and stop to let it sink into your soul!!

Blessings,

Laurie

The New Year

Happy 2017!  It's been quite a while since I have written on this blog but my New Year's resolution is to get back to it.  So, here we go!!

Another year another new leg of life's journey! Oh I know what you're thinking  - this is the same old journey, we've just turned the calendar page, but that's only true if you want it to be. What happens on your journey in 2017 is what you make of  the events and opportunities, the pain and the sadness.

The New Year may just be a date on a calendar but it can also be the beginning of a new adventure on your journey. In our faith lives it's always good to renew our covenant with God and with one another at least yearly.  It helps us to remember what our faith is all about and how we want to live it out.  

Last Sunday at Hope we participated in the Wesley covenant renewal service which makes one stop and really think about what it means to be a Christian and whether you are ready to place yourself in God's hands.  It was also a time of joy as we celebrated our community of faith and the promise that comes from the light of Jesus.

We also gave out jars (popular now on social media!) so congregations members and friends could begin to acknowledge the good things in life and revisit them next New Year's Eve at a minimum.  I think they will also be useful on days when one is sad or lonely - to be able to look at all of the awesome things that have happened! 

So, it's the beginning of January.  What are you going to do?  How will you approach this new year?  May it be with the faith of Jesus within you and the light of faith leading you all the way!!