Our lovable mutt, Heather, passed away a couple of years ago. We found her at a dog pound, adopted her into our family, and she nestled her way into our hearts and lives for the next 16 years. As I watched Heather express her unique, God-given personality, I learned a lot about the “ministry of presence”: one of the greatest gifts that God’s creatures can give to each other. I define the ministry of presence as being aware of – and paying attention to - what’s happening in the moment with those around us. This is something that dogs excel at. God has created them to fully live in the moment, observing – and responding to – the moods and tone of those they love.  This was abundantly true of Heather. When I was happy, she would wag her tail or even jump around with excitement. When I was afraid, she would growl or bark. When I was sad or in pain, she would sit close by my side and sometimes lick my hand or cheek. In short, Heather was continually ready to demonstrate her lov...

Creating – when immersed in spirit – becomes a  pathway  toward a closer connection to God. Sarah Stockton Creativity is God’s gift to each of us.  Using our creativity is our gift back to God. Julia Cameron How do we get close to God? We allow our senses, our minds and our very beings to be immersed in the things of God. Connecting with God cannot be just an analytical pursuit. Otherwise the core of our faith will be facts, rules, and behavior…rather than relationship. And one way to pursue that relationship is through creativity. Creativity that allows us to connect with God, and experience God, in new and different ways.  Our creativity is accessed from our brain’s intuitive center; the “right-brain”. This center connects most to our five senses and also can deeply establish experiences in our hearts which result in great transformation.  If we choose to invite God’s spirit to be with us when creating something, it puts us in a positi...

On this Valentine’s Day…a day when we think about love…here is a special love letter  for you. It’s a love letter from God the Father,  addressed to you as his precious child  (based on Psalm 139) Dear Child,  I made you. You’re unique. With love I formed you in your mother’s womb and fashioned you with mysterious complexity. I remember with great joy the day I created you in the secret place, and carefully shaped you from nothing to something.  You are beautiful. I love your smile; I love your ways. You are yourself, and no one else, and this is how I purposely made you .  I made you in such a way that you always will need me. I know if I had not made you like this, you would forget about me – your Creator. Sadly, many times you have stumbled and fallen, because you stood alone and would not take my hand. So many lessons you learned the hard way, because you would not listen to my voice. Instead you went your merry way alone,...

Our greatest danger is life is permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important. Charles E. Hummel How many times do we think, “I have too much to do”, or “I don’t have time to deal with that issue”? More times than we can count. Why is this? Perhaps it’s because we so easily buy into the lie that all urgent activities must be important activities. Our default is to tend to the noisy and compelling immediate stuff, rather than hear the still, small voice of God calling us to be with him. We wake up in the morning when the alarm goes off, and the urgent pace begins. We check our calendar to see what’s up for the day, social media to see what responses are required, and news sites to see what’s happening in the world. We start the coffee and then dash to work where we meet with people, process paperwork, and deal with phone calls and emails. After work might find us in other meetings or social engagements, before heading home and addressing urgent needs there (famil...