These are the words written in red, these are the words of Jesus.Matthew 24:6-7“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine and earthquakes in many parts of the world.”In my lifetime alone, there have been six wars and ...

Many years ago, I had the privilege of seeing the musical production of Joseph and the Amazing Technical Dreamcoat at the Palladium Theater in London. Growing up without a deep understanding of biblical stories, I had no idea what to expect from the show. However, I must say, I was utterly captivated. The acting, the singing, and the enthralling narrative that unfolded before me have left an unfor...

Matthew 5:14-16You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.I recently attended a workshop at my church, focused...

A Time for EverythingWe recently moved our clocks forward an hour; the arrival of the Spring Equinox. I know that there are a lot of people who are complaining about losing an hour of sleep, but me, I’m rejoicing. I love this time of the year! It probably has a little bit to do with the fact that I was born on the first day of Spring. But when I see the trees leafing out, the grass turning green a...

Matthew 6:34So don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.Growing up we weren’t allowed to get up from the dinner table until we had eaten everything on our plate. After all, there were children going hungry somewhere in the world who would love to have the food we were trying to leave on our plate. Needless to say, we sat there and ate...

Matthew 7:12Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.Or as Luke 6:31 simply states, do to others as you would like them to do to you.All it takes is to show kindness, respect, and goodwill towards others for the world to become a better place and for you to become a better person.I had planned today to do the devotion that I had for last week when I wasn’t able to be here because I was si...

Psalms 32:20For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken.When life seems to be breaking us down, we can find strength to adapt, learn and persevere, emerging stronger and more resilient. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, or even a job loss, these experiences can bend us, but they won’t break us.Have you ever practiced yoga? I use the word “prac...

Growing up, I was well-versed in the concept of anger and its repercussions. My petite 5’2” and 90-pound mother possessed an turbulent temper, which my father affectionately referred to as her “Spanish temper.” Regrettably, I inherited her strong-willed nature, leading to numerous volatile moments during my adolescence. More often than not, I would endure her outbursts, knowing that retaliating wo...

Reflections on Easter SundayEaster for me was frilly dresses, lacy socks, white patent leather Mary Jane shoes and a Easter bonnet. My family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa’s farm for a huge lunch where we were scattered out in three rooms. There was never a table big enough for accommodate all of us. After lunch we had our Easter egg hunt with all the cousins followed by dividing out our treasur...

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live a life that pleases God and resists the natural human inclination to sin. To achieve this, we must be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and take control of our lives through self-awareness and the ability to adapt to life’s challenges. We must fully engage in the present moment, avoiding getting caught up in past regrets or future anxieties. In this e...

We are in the middle of Lent, the 40 days of reflection, prayer and spiritual preparation before Easter. It represents the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness and enduring temptations from Satan; according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.Luke 4:1-2Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River (as he had just been baptized) . He was led by the spirit into th...

Are you tired of fighting the day to day battles of life? Do you feel like that proverbial hampster on its wheel just spinning and spinning and going nowhere. Do you ever want to be that 2 year old in the park that falls to the ground kicking and screaming, “No! I don’t want to go home!” Years ago I was at the mall shopping with my sister-in-law and my 2 young nieces, when the youngest does just t...

Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.For many years I was an awkward, timid person. I was not strong, I was not outgoing and I didn’t participate in activities unless I was made to. By my Junior year of high school I started coming out of my shell, I started being me. I was in the marching band, I actua...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7   Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never give up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures every circumstance.In a wedding ceremony, the most common vo...

By Definition it is the active effort to communicate with a higher being, deity or spirit. It is documented that the act of praying dates back 5000 years ago. Makes you wonder who was around then to do that.Prayer to me is talking to God, whether it’s asking for his help, his forgiveness, his strength, his wisdom or his guidance. It’s communicating with him, “hey God, are you there, it’s me; and I...

Have you ever felt lost? Not knowing which path to take? Not knowing where to go for answers? Not sure if you are making the right decisions in life? But you know that you’ve got to do something or you are going to make some really bad decisions.I met Pastor Twyla outside of church, at her other job. A friend recommended her, so I made an appointment and we “clicked” so to speak. The second time I...