By Katie Kafka Have you ever walked through a season when you notice that God is preparing your heart for something? It is this awkward space when waiting feels uncomfortable and yet, so does moving forward. It is hard not to get caught up in the unknown and uncertainty of your circumstances making it easier …
Grounded and Grateful
Lessons 4 and 5 in Colossians were overflowing in their description of Jesus. Colossians 1:15-20 describes him in poetic form that gradually builds to a crescendo in verse 20. He is: The image-bearer of the invisible GodFirstborn of all creationCreator of ALL thingsBefore all thingsThe One who holds all things togetherHead of the body (the …
Lessons in Gratitude
By Carey Helmink Well friends, the holidays are fast approaching once again. I don’t know why I am always shocked when this time of the year occurs again. We KNOW it’s coming – every year – but the older I get, the faster it comes it would seem. 😊 Of course, the subject of gratitude …
A Remedy for our Discontent
“It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life.” --Elizabeth Elliot In my early 30s, I posted this quote to my desk in my home office. I was struggling with the realities of infertility at …
Daily Rhythms of Gratitude
Since today’s lesson is a little shorter than the others, you get to hear from both of us. Even with the busy holiday weekend ahead, I hope you can find time to work through the questions at the end of the lesson and leave a comment to share. We’d love to hear from all of …
Stressed Out? Give Thanks.
There is no doubt we live in a stress-filled society. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association showed 77% of the people surveyed regularly experienced physical symptoms caused by stress, 73% regularly experienced psychological symptoms caused by stress and 48% feel their stress has increased over the past five years. Annual costs to employers in stress …
Experiencing God through Community
A little over a month ago, a long-time member of our Tuesday morning community shared these thoughts with us about how our bible study ministry has helped her grow in Christ. Please take a moment to read these words from my dear friend, Laurie Hovendick. When I was growing up, I remember one of my favorite …
Overflowing with Gratitude
Who of us doesn’t love a good fairy tale? There’s a bright beginning . . . “once upon a time,” then the middle is adventure and crisis . . . romance and tension . . . , but we can endure any number of plot twists because we know the “happily ever after” ending is coming. …
