Month: January 2019

Another Trip Around The Sun!

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Each year as the calendar encourages us to welcome a new year, my household reflects on the ending year with what we’ve saved in a jar. As I prepare myself to add another year to my age, I’m doing something similar by reflecting on the last year of my life.

This is how it started-

It included officiating a dear friend’s wedding, seeing my college roommate, planned and unplanned road trips, and funerals for people I love. I visited new states, ate delicious food, celebrated birthdays of loved ones, went to the beach, spent holidays with family, and fulfilled this lifelong dream.

Fenway Park

This year was both heartbreaking and amazingly awesome. Some moments made me laugh until I cried and other left me crying until it felt like I had no more tears. Many days were just ordinary, regular days when I did my job to the best of my abilities. I cannot remember all the meals I ate and am thankful for my amazing husband who cooked so many of those meals.

So as it is now my birthday, what am I hoping for this year? I’d appreciate a little less sadness and more joy. If that can’t happen, I’d like to remember to look for the joy even amidst the sadness. I’d like more time with people I love. If that can’t happen, I’d like to be fully present for the time I do have with the people I love. They deserve my attention. I’d like less hurrying and rushing around which might be achieved by me saying no a little more often and leaving earlier than I think I should (this one might be one I can work on myself). I’d like to look back a year from now and say all in all it was a good year.

Loving God, You hear our hopes and our heartache. You see our dreams and our reality. You know our thoughts and our actions. You guide us and only ask that we follow you. So that is what we’ll do. We will follow you through the next year not knowing where we are going or how we will get there. We look forward to the journey and know that all will be well. Amen.

What is bringing you joy today?

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In a world where bad news dominates the air waves, it is important for us to spread good news. It is vital for us to share what brings us joy. So today, I encourage you to be someone who is looking for the good and points out what you see to others. The joy or good news you share doesn’t need to be huge or earth shattering. It is life changing because we will be the ones vocalizing that there is still goodness and joy in this world among all the negativity that is shared.

(Please know that I am not suggesting that we ignore the news or the events happening around us. I am encouraging us to be people who share joy where we see it while being aware that there is much that needs to be changed in our world.)

I will share what is bringing me joy today. This cup which is a perfect blend of my love of tea and my husband’s love of pharmacy. It makes me smile each time I see. I wanted to share this with you and encourage you to share what is bringing you joy today. May you find peace and joy on your path today.

Asking for Money and Thanking God for Money

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Recently, I was part of a conversation where pastors asked for a new call to offering and prayer of dedication. I felt inspired to write something a little bit different.

Call to the Offering

The church isn’t good at asking for money in ways that inspire people. Often we give because we are supposed to or its the right thing to do or we’ve always given. Some of us don’t give much because we give elsewhere at places that are better at making us feel like our hard earned money will be used well. Today I encourage you to look around this sacred space. Notice where your money is going-to provide a worship opportunity in a comfortably cooled/heated space, to provide educational times so we can all grow in our faith, to provide equitable salaries for all who work here, to share God’s love with those outside this space through food pantries, after school programs, AA groups, and so many other ways. Think about the good your money does when you give it to your church as we share a moment of eyes open and looking around in silent reflection. And now, we will receive this morning’s offering.

Prayer of Dedication-

Holy One, Receive this offering we give to you and your church because we want to help spread your good news within these wall and in our community and throughout the world. Bless the work that will be done with this money as we seek to open our eyes, ears, and hearts and become the body of Christ at work in the world. Amen.

Celebrating the Life of…

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Shortly before Christmas, my husband’s Grandma died. Her death was the third family member we said good-bye to in 2018. While we found much joy throughout the year, it was a year filled with many hard, grief-filled days.

My Mother-in-law asked if I would read Scripture, pray and do a faith eulogy at Grandma’s service. I consider it a privilege to be asked to participate in a special moment like this.

Here are the words I shared at her funeral and I am sharing them with you on what would have been her 90th birthday.

I was asked to speak about Grandma Clark and her faith. Many of you have known her much longer than I have. I first met her 13 years ago when her grandson now my husband, Richard, asked me to come home with him for Christmas to meet his family. 
Grandma was a women of faith who relied on her faith and hard work throughout her life. Her faith and her family are what sustained her when she needed to make difficult decisions. Her faith strengthened her when she said goodbye to loved ones resting in the assurance that she would see them again.
For some time, Grandma has been ready to be with Jesus. As it became more difficult for her to be as independent as she wanted to be and we all know that she wanted to do everything by herself and didn’t want to ask for any assistance. As she had to relinquish more and more independence, she would ask why am I still here? And her daughter Mary would tell her that God needed her to stay here with us a little longer and when God was ready she would be called home. That finally happened. And even though she was ready, I am not sure we were. 
We will remember her determination and strength. We never forget her fierce independence and how she fought to keep control of all that she could by living alone as long as possible and not wanting to give up her car. 
My hope is that we all will continue to tell her story and remember her through our laughter and tears. 
And we take comfort in knowing that she is not in pain anymore, that she now can move and walk without any challenges, and that is reunited with her loved ones who have gone before her. 
So today and in the coming days, rely on your faith and your family as Grandma did as the strength and support to help you through the hard days and the joy that is with you on the good days.

Grandma playing Exploding Kittens with her grandson, Richard, Christmas 2015.