

Practice Compassion Whenever You Can
I recently enjoyed adult Vacation Bible School on Zoom with 5 other women. The theme was compassion. Simply put, compassion is defined in three short sentences: I see your hurt. I feel your hurt. I will try to ease your hurt. It might be a good practice to look for examples of compassion in your daily surroundings. My favorite example was sent to me by an out-of-town member. It might be a real story. It might be a fable. A four-year-old child lived next door to an eld


Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
What scares you? As a child, I was never scared that there were monsters under my bed, but I was scared of the dark. As an adolescent, I developed a fear of heights and a fear of closed-places. Once I became a parent, I developed a fear that something traumatic would happen to my child. (I am not sure that one ever goes away!) Sometimes we are scared of the unknown. (When will Covid 19 be under control? Will I lose someone I love?) Sometimes we are afraid of the known.


Treasure Now...
How long is a split second? Long enough for your life to flash before your eyes. Long enough for abuse to start. Long enough to take your first breath, or take your last. Long enough to change your mind. We often live as though we will live forever. So, we plan and dream way into the future. I am not knocking plans and dreams. But when it comes right down to it, all we have is the next breath, and then we have moved into another second of our day. Take time to treasur

Keep in Touch
I have heard from more than one person that a weekly Zoom group they are part of has gradually dwindled. And I am curious as to why. It would be sad if they disappeared. It is good to keep in touch. To see how others are doing. That said, I too have skipped such a session or two (more lately than when they first began}. Are we tired of virtual meetings? Are we tired of technology? Are we busier? When they first started, it was such a gift to see faces and changing exp


Sing!
So, with congregational singing considered a high risk to spread the COVID-19, and knowing that there may not be congregational singing or a choir for quite some time, what can you do? I know you have your favorite hymns, classical pieces used as preludes, praise music, praise band music. Look for it on the radio. Order a CD through the internet. It has been said that music is prayer without words … but in many cases the two become one. Have a solo sing along at home – i