Lighthearted Blessings
- May the hinges of your friendship never grow rusty.
- May the luck of the Irish lead to happiest heights and the highway you travel be lined with green lights.
- As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
- May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the devil knows you’re dead!
- May good luck be your friend in whatever you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.
- May the good saints protect you and bless you today, and may troubles ignore you each step of the way.
Limiting Distractions
Getting a cell phone is a major milestone for kids — and a huge decision for parents. Despite our boys’ complaints, we made them wait longer than most of their peers. We emphasized accountability, monitoring and time limits. Out of curiosity, I checked my own phone usage. It was more than double the limit we set for our kids! I came up with reasons (excuses, really) why I needed more time.
But God stopped me in my tracks and prompted me to use a “time’s up” notification. It helps me be intentional about removing distractions. What diverts you from God’s best? Are you listening to him and then redirecting your attention? God, speak clearly — and prompt us to listen! —Janna Firestone
A God Who Knows
It is easy to dismiss or ridicule the idea of God on a cross. But I would have a hard time following a philosophical abstraction. At some points in our lives, we may need a God who has entered our darkest places of uncertainty and depression. A God who can comprehend the fear of a death without significance. A God who knows the silence of God. —Michael Gerson
I Wear it When I Dust
Some churchgoers chatted about their customized T-shirts from a service project, sharing compliments they’d received while wearing them in public. One chimed in, saying, “I wear mine when I dust.” Two nearby staff members raised their eyebrows, likely thinking it wasn’t the outreach strategy they had in mind.
Jesus gave us all a “service project” via the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Tasks include telling people about Jesus, baptizing and teaching his commands. In a way, we all received a Great Commission T-shirt at our baptism. When do you wear yours? And how are your projects going? Whether you’re serving in the community or at home (even by dusting), remember Who you represent! —Julie Lee
“Consider”
Consider the lilies of the field whose bloom is brief:
We are as they; like them we fade away, as doth a leaf.
Consider the sparrows of the air of small account:
Our God doth view whether they fall or mount, he guards us too.
Consider the lilies that do neither spin nor toil,
Yet are most fair: What profits all this care and all this coil?
Consider the birds that have no barn nor harvest-weeks;
God gives them food: Much more our Father seeks to do us good. —Christina Rossetti
God Among Our Brokenness
I am not the only one who sees the underside and God at the same time. There are lots of us, and we are at home in the biblical stories of antiheroes and people who don’t get it; beloved prostitutes and rough fishermen. …
It was here in the midst of my own community of underside dwellers that I couldn’t help but begin to see the Gospel, the life-changing reality that God is not far off, but here among the brokenness of our lives. And having seen it, I couldn’t help but point it out. —Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix
March Mission of the Month: One Great Hour of Sharing UCC
|
