I’m back! After a seven-week sabbatical, the thing Pam and I missed most was… you! The people of Bethany, our friends and family. Sharing life together. I really do love being a part of community, and one of the ways I’ve enjoyed doing this is through this little devotional blog. So after seven weeks away, I’ve been looking forward to picking up the pen again and sharing some of what God has been doing in my life. I’ve also almost…
Thank you Barb Gerhart for providing our devotional blog this week while Pastor Steve is away! Ping! Beep! Buzz… Trill! Pulse… Chime… Chirps (like that Star Wars droid). Whah-whah-whah! That annoying alarm when you want to sleep just…five…more…minutes! How much of your day is programmed by these noises? Life is filled with these audio cues, each one alerting us to a task or need that requires attention. They tell us to wake up, buckle your seat belt, shut the car…
Thank you to Dawn Haines for this week’s Blog! “Sit.” “Wait.” “Come.” “Leave it.” Juliana’s service dog knows these four commands. As many of you know, Juliana was born with a rare genetic deletion syndrome. For more than three years, she has been waiting for a service dog to help her with balance and mobility. On September 6, we welcomed Mumme r into our hearts and home. Mummer is a Golden Retriever with a sweet disposition who…
Pastor Isaac recommended this one because it goes so well with our series on Jonah! Thank you Casey Bralla for sharing! “Whooped Upside the Head” One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 16:9: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” As a stubborn engineer, and a late-in-life convert to Christianity, I’ve often needed God to “whoop me upside the head” to make His presence and desires known to me. This is the…
Finding Faith in 57 Days of Uncertainty “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Psalm 13:5 It was very early on Sunday, February 22, when I was aroused out of a sound sleep by a quiet “ding” on my phone. Opening my phone at 5:32 a.m., caller ID told me it was the hospital. My stomach sank. This could not be good news. The doctor identified himself as one of the cardiologists on my…
(Thank you Miki Clouser for our devotional this week!) I have been listening through the Bible in a year, but somewhere around June I got off track and was struggling to catch up. I attended a birthday party in West Virginia early in July, so on the 400-mile drive home I planned to marathon it. I started listening at the end of Solomon’s reign where God sends a prophet to Jeroboam with this message, “…Solomon has forsaken me and worships…
(Thank you Debbie Barker for submitting this week’s devotional.) Every year around this time, something happens to me. While most people are soaking up the last days of summer, I’m practically giddy. Forget January 1. For me, the real New Year begins in late August. I’ve always been this way. As a child, I loved walking through the school supply aisles. Apparently, I’ve always been a nerd. (I know… everyone thinks I’m so cool. Sorry to burst your bubble.)…
This week’s blog is shared by Carol Musser. Recently, I stepped into something completely outside my comfort zone – a three-day backpacking trip through World’s End State Park with four other women. I had never backpacked before, but when the invitation came, I eagerly accepted. I expected an adventure. What I didn’t expect was how much God would teach me along the trail. Confident in my natural abilities, I assumed the journey would be difficult – but certainly manageable. The first…
Pastor Steve is on Sabbatical, we thank Pastor Isaac Martin for today’s contribution. A few weeks ago, Pastor Steve used a creative illustration in his sermon about who is shaping us. As Steve pointed out, you don’t get a purple dinosaur if you have green Play-Doh and a Christmas tree cookie cutter. You need the right mold and the right color of Play-Doh to get the right result. This spoke to me in a powerful way. This is the third…
This coming Monday, August 10, I begin my sabbatical. We announced it during a worship service this spring, but since several people have recently asked about it, I thought I’d share a little of the story behind it. Many of you know that our employee handbook provides pastors with a scheduled sabbatical after every seven years of ministry. I’ve now been serving in pastoral ministry for thirty-five years, and I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the wisdom and kindness…