​But Jesus said to them, “You feed them.”  Matt. 14:16      
                    
Hello my dear one,

          This morning’s message is a head scratcher.  You could Shelah, (take a sacred pause and contemplate the message) or think to yourself superficially, “I do that!”  Or, “I don’t want to hear or do this.”  I don’t have any skills, possessions, or enough time.   I have nothing to give.  Yet, Jesus said, “You feed them.”  So, I ask you this question, “What’s in your lunchbox?”  For the little boy who offered his lunch to Jesus, it was five loaves and two fish.  And five thousand people were fed.  What a miracle!!!
          When we offer ourselves and what we have to God, God’s power can work through us and divine miracles happen.  A little child reminds us to have faith.  A child reminds us to share.  He reminds us of what it means to be a disciple.
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      “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore, he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew who were fishing for a living.  Jesus called out to them, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers for men.”  They left their nets at once and followed him” (Matt. 4:16-19).  He did not say, “Believe in me.”  He implied “follow my example.”  So how do you fish for men?  Share!  Your time.  Your compassion.  Your forgiveness.  Even maybe your lunch.  So, I ask you again, “What’s in your lunchbox?”        
                                                                      I have decided to follow Jesus.  Have you?
                                                                                                            Linda

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.   Eph: 4: 31-32 The Message                                                                                   
 Good morning my friend,
        Let’s have a chat, grab a cup of tea, become quiet and give ourselves a moment to ponder the above scripture.  Another translation says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger along with every form of malice.” Three times, count them, three times this week, once in a class I am taking, another time in a sermon I was listening to, and, oh my gosh, it popped up right there in the text on the page of the book I am currently reading.  Not once, but three times, God spoke loudly.  I have been pondering my life and where this scripture applies.  Holding onto past hurts, past mistakes, anxious and fearful thoughts, etc. clutters the mind and spirit. We can become a prisoner of own thoughts.  And the burdens of these emotions are heavy weights to carry.  Wouldn’t it be much easier, dear one, to just lay those burdens down?  We can’t live life constantly looking into the rearview mirror.  We can’t put our lives in reverse and get a do-over.  But we can move forward.
          And while we are letting go of our mistakes and forgiving ourselves, wouldn’t it be such a relief to cut others some slack?  Forgive all that unresolved stuff from the past and move on.  Drop the burdens you have been carrying.  You can stand taller, walk faster toward your own destiny without all of the stuff:  resentment, anger, jealousy, and bitterness weighing you down.  Forgive as quickly as God forgives us.  And God remembers our sins no more.   Let’s enjoy today.  Find joy in this very moment.  It’s easier than you might think to let go.  Trust that always God gives you and others a clean slate, a fresh start, a safe place to begin again.  Love this gospel message.  Hope you do also.                                                                                                                                                                   Linda

Even though I walk through a valley of deep darkness, I will not be afraid because you are with me.                                                                                       Psalm 23:4                             
Hello dear one,
          David, who wrote the above words, is one of the best examples of our complicated human nature.  Even in darkness, he felt God’s presence, but he was both a hero and a villain, a good guy and a bad guy.  He was a man after God’s own heart, but he was also cruelly self-interested. Did he not sense God’s presence when he was tempted by Bathsheba?  Did he not hear God’s still small voice? Sometimes it is hard to reconcile these two sides of David.  How could a man of such faithfulness and courage act so cowardly and selfish? 
          Looking at David’s life, we see an example of our own very complicated human nature.  There is a little David in all of us.  And in every person, there is a potential for sin and goodness and an opportunity to experience God’s grace and forgiveness. I am saddened that labeling continues in our culture and the labels stick and we don’t allow for spiritual growth and redemption.   We are quick to categorize people, democrat or republican, villainizing each other as good or bad, liberal or conservative, radical or passive, gay or straight, saint or sinner.    God has not given us the right to judge.  Only God knows what is deeply hidden in our hearts.  God walks with us through our dark valleys and is also the light beckoning us onward.  Let’s you and I become an encourager instead of judge.  Let’s offer mercy.  See the good in others.  Love others as Christ has loved us, unconditionally. 
                                               Linda
          

​God knows the secrets of our hearts.                                                     Psalm 44:21
Hello Dear One,
          I know many of my friends are addicted to Facebook. Sometimes I am also.   Such smiling faces.  Glowing reports of kids performing perfectly.  Winning trophies.  Getting scholastic awards. Glorious vacation pics.   Only once in the while someone will post a prayer request for a sick relative or friend.  I get it.  No one wants the world to know that their heart is breaking.  That their marriage is in trouble or their kids are on drugs.  No one wants to post about their financial woes.  But here is a warning:  don’t let these posts persuade you that somehow their lives are perfect.  We all put on a brave front.  Truth is: we are all living in the middle of a mess.
          Jesus warned us that “in this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:13).  I am not recommending that you share your pain on Facebook.  I am suggesting you confess your pain to Jesus and one or two trusted friends. Finding a safe place of authenticity where you can be real is your true path to hope and healing.  Only then will you find the peace you so desperately need to experience. 
                                      You are so loved just as you are. 
                                                       Linda