...a word from Kathy

I t started out as a normal Sunday morning.  Coffee, reading an actual newspaper and church.  It was Palm Sunday and we expected the waving of a few palms; however, what we were not expecting was to be fully engaged as actors in the Holy Week story.   The opening scene was one filled with uplifting music and a parade of palms, which involved many of those gathered .  The joy, laughter and celebration was contagious and uplifting.  The shouts of Hosannah through song were glorious. As the service continued, we found ourselves immersed in the full reading of Matthew 26-27, with reading parts.  These verses in Matthew reflect Jesus' last week on earth. Our active roles in a parade of palms quickly became new roles of disciple, bystander and spectator.  Some of our speaking parts were: Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him Gre...

M y mama used to tell me stories of days gone by and as much as I loved hearing them, I inherently knew there was more depth to her retelling.  A depth she wanted me to know, and experience, and apply to my life.  And she wanted me to find these truths on my own.  Unfortunately, much of her insight was lost on me until after she passed away.  But today, her birthday, I hear her voice in my memory, and I understand her wisdom a bit more.  As such, I hold her words very close. And so, I believe are the stories from the Bible. God longs for us to study and find truths on our own. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:  “‘He will command his angels concerning you,  and they will lift you up in their hands,  so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do no...

I n the Bible stories leading up to Easter, we read about temptations that Jesus faced.  On the surface, these temptations may seem to reveal the historic era of 30 BCE and not be applicable to our lives today.  But maybe, they reveal a human nature we prefer to ignore. We all have faced temptations. The easy ones to consider are those from childhood, i.e., the temptation to selfishness, or the high school/college temptations that led down roads we wished we’d never traveled, or the career temptations of, “what happens on the road, stays on the road.”  But in our current days of life, do we still have temptations, have we outgrown these sources of torment? After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:2-4 It is obvious that this...

O ften, I awake in the wee hours.  My mind mostly weighs heavy thoughts in these moments.  I think of old days and old ways as well as yesterday and future days.  However, the silence in these hours is most welcome even amongst the tick-tock I hear in my head and house.   And then, the silent child is beside my bed.  She's scared, she's teary, she's looking for reassurance that someone is near.  She's searching in the darkness and quiet for safe arms as she has woken up in an unknown place and sees only shadows of yesterday.  My granddaughter wanted her mom, her comfort and protector. This Christmas I sense that my protector is far and near too. He's farther and nearer than I can know. He's farther ahead and behind that I can understand. He's nearer than my next breath. He's farther in healing my past than I can conceive. He's farther than what I expect Him to be and nearer to my wildest hope. He's farther from condemnation and nearer to all lovi...

Santa  is practically on his way.  Children are in full anticipation of his arrival, experiencing no doubt of his arrival.  I don't believe that I've ever heard a child say, "what if Santa doesn't come."   They are confidently focused on packages arriving: gifts, gadgets and gizmos!   This bold anticipation of Santa's arrival is a teaching moment for me.   Before the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people did not doubt a Savior was coming.  They faithfully knew that one day he would come.  They were preparing for him; not with ribbons and wrappings but with hearts of quiet anticipation knowing he was practically on his way. As we enter the last ten days before December 25, I wonder if I'm anticipating Santa or a Savior. It seems that in the age that Jesus was born,  people were starving for a Saviour.  They lived life desperate for a hero, a conqueror.  They realized that their only hope was for a king to come and defeat their enemies. ...

I 'm a long-time Southern girl.  Most often we celebrated the Christmas season in cotton sweaters and longed for cold weather.  But occasionally in December we got a snowy moment or two.  And what I remember most about a snowy morning was stepping outside and hearing absolutely NOTHING.  The silence of snow is a most beautiful thing.  In fact, not much else in my world creates silence.  But when presented with it, I suddenly realize my deep longing for it. Zechariah was a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem just before Jesus was born.  Let's read about him:   Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  12   When Zechariah saw him, he  w as startled and was gripped with fear.  13   But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  14  ...