OPEN AnniversaryPart 1 We have heard all of the phrases “walk the walk”, “talk the talk”, “fake it until you make it”, “go with the flow”- we could go on and on. All of these sayings give us an excuse to skim the surface and avoid digging deep into our faith. This week, we are Invited by Jesus’ words to Isaiah to pause and reflect on what it means to open up to God’s word. Opening Prayer: God, tha...  Read More

This week, I’ve been in Houston as a delegate at the Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church. This is a regional gathering that’s main purpose is to elect bishops. It is no secret that the UMC is navigating a tumultuous time. Traditionalist pastors and churches are beginning to leave the denomination, many forming a new one (the Global Methodist Church) that will uphold prohibitio...  Read More

They say it takes 17 muscles to smile (usually in comparison to the 43 it takes to frown). But still, 17 is more than you would expect.  It seems like smiling should qualify as an aerobic workout, yet it is one of the most effortless facial expressions we have as people.  So many times, a smile is uncontrollable, and it is most often a signal that we are happy.  Now happiness is truly a gift from ...  Read More

On Monday, a 19-year-old young man broke into the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School with an AR-15 style rifle and 600 rounds of ammunition. He shot and killed a teacher, and sophomore student before being shot and dying at the hospital. Four other students were shot and injured and several others were hurt. Stories like this have become sadly normal in our country, except this one was...  Read More

Words to Live By - Week 4On SpeechWelcome! The average person speaks around 15,000 words in a day. While many of us would be hard pressed to remember all the things we’ve said at the end of the day, our words can have a lasting impact on the people around us. The writers of Proverbs understood the power of our speech. As followers of Jesus we are representatives of God in the world. So we don’t ju...  Read More

Okay, it's time to clock in folks!  This week's theme is all about work and that can mean so many different things.  Work is one of those interesting umbrella terms.  It could be as vivid as Dolly Parton sang about climbing the ladder on a 9 to 5.  Or as fabulous as a supermodel strutting down a runway to an old school RuPaul remix (sashay, shante).  Or it could be as compassionate as an ER nurse ...  Read More