“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) No matter how I read this scripture, it sounds painful to me. It speaks of friction and a honing away of unnecessary material. Ouch. Someone asked me one time this question: If you could only...
Blogs
Encouraging Blogs
“Organization” by Rev. Shellie Bowdoin
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could focus more of your attention on those goals and dreams that often get pushed to the back in favor of everyday chores? I believe God opened my eyes to the idea of “Power Hours”…specific blocks of time where I could devote uninterrupted...
“On and On and On and On” by Pastor Jennifer Spivey
You learned it in Sunday School: “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”. Though many of us can quote the song lyrics and the John 3:16 (“for God so loved the world that He sent His Son….”) and we can give mental assent to the idea that God is love and He loves everyone, it’s...
“Breaking the Stigma” by Jeanette Alcantara
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, but I’m not your personal counselor and this blog content does not create a counselor-client relationship. This blog content is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should...
“All Kinds of Treasure Chests” by Pastor Jennifer Spivey
Last summer, I visited a friend in my hometown. We snapped beans with her grandmother, on the front porch, in the afternoon sun, sitting on the wooden rockers or in the swing. Simple, we enjoyed and we chatted. A face-to-face about the green beans and the garden...
“Pray Continually” by Pastor Ressie Morgan
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “If God is all-knowing, and he loves me and wants what’s best for me, why do I need to tell him what He already knows?” Why is prayer so important? God is omniscient, meaning He’s all-knowing. 1 John 3:19-20, ESV says, “By...
“Shake It Off” by Rev. Shellie Bowdoin
How many times have you answered, “I’m OK” when someone asked how you were; knowing full well that you were anything but, OK? We all do it. Too often, we’re not willing or able to admit to the world, or sometimes not even to ourselves, that we’re anything but, OK. So,...
“From Mental Health Trial to Mental Health Testimony” by Jeannette Alcantara
This has been the buzz statement for the past several years. You hear about mental health concerns on the news, in social media outlets, at the workplace, in the schools, from your children, from friends, and lately, at church. The sad truth is that people struggling...
“Start the Clap” by Pastor Jennifer Spivey
For most of my career, I taught music in an elementary school. One year, my handbell choir and my mallet band were invited to perform at a local theater, part of benefit concert concert for a local charity. (Insert shameless brag here: you ought to see my 10 year...
“Hold the Vision, Trust the Process” by Pastor Kristi Hahn
The other day scrolling for graphics for a group I’m a part of, I found one with this statement on it: “Hold the vision. Trust the process.” Initially, I found myself thinking about it in the context of military frontlines. About how they hold the line to defend the...