I am struggling this morning coming up with words to share. My heart is broken by this recent string of mass shootings. So many lives lost. Each one a precious person. Yes, we pray God brings comfort and strength to all those impacted by the tragic violence. But we have to do more. We have a problem in our country. It is complex. There is not one single solution. We must start working together. Of all the scripture verses that come to mind this morning, the one that touches me deepest is, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.

Dear Friends and Family in Faith,

Livingston is coming alive as Spring awakens. Mark’s is open, which signals summer is on the horizon! In this transition of seasons, and as our churches experience a transition of pastoral leadership, let’s focus daily on the new mercies God offers us. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us;

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    God’s mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness, O Lord.”

Dear Friends and Family in Faith,

Our thoughts hold incredible power. Paul writes, in Romans 12:2, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The thoughts we think about experiences and people shape our response and determine if it will be life-giving or life-diminishing. Linda Douty writes, “thoughts produce energy, which is the power that produces action – whether positive or negative. Energy produces behavior.” An ancient Chinese philosopher, poet Lao Tzu, puts it this way,

Dear Friends and Family in Faith,

When difficult and terrible things happen, I often hear people say, “Everything happens for a reason” or “God won’t give me more than I can handle.” I understand the intent of those statements, however they make a faulty assumption that God sends bad things into our lives on purpose. I resonate with Linda Douty who writes, “I’m unwilling to believe that God engineers the pain in our lives, but I am willing to affirm that ‘all things work together for good for those who love God.’ (Romans 8:28). No matter what the circumstances or how they came about, the Spirit invites us into the task of picking up the broken shards of our lives and, with the power of divine grace, shaping them into a unique mosaic of greater love for God and compassion for God’s people.” That is the beauty of our God of redemption. By the power and grace of God, beauty can emerge even from ugly things. And in the process our capacity for love and compassion increases. We can allow the ugly things in our lives to make us bitter OR we can trust in the God of redemption to walk with us through the pain and one day make all things beautiful, even broken things. The choice is ours.