Paul and I are back from a whirlwind journey to my mother’s motherland: the Philippines. My mom didn’t have the luxury of leisure, so we explored the places she didn’t get to go:

This southern gal gets excited when snow of any kind falls from the sky – we didn’t have much snow where I grew up and a snow day was almost like a once-in-a-lifetime event (okay, three times a year).

In case you missed it this week, the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops released this statement calling for love, unity, and support for one another during this time in our history. 

Dear Friends,

Once a month in the 10:30 service and weekly in the 8:30 service we celebrate The Great Thanksgiving together. These times are the most holy times in worship for me.

This is a Word not only with the pastor, but also with your Staff Parish Relations Committee.

Thanks to your generosity at Tabitha Circle’s Fall and Holiday sales, we will be able to continue our ministry of handwork from the heart.

The United Methodist Church operates on a quadrennium schedule. This means that all the laws, rules, policies, and practices of the United Methodist Church globally are updated every four years.

A big THANK YOU to those who contributed to my upcoming Volunteer in Mission trip to Kenya!  I leave January 16 – and I’m awed and grateful for the support I’ve received from my friends at FUMC and elsewhere! 

Sunday’s scripture comes from Isaiah 43:
Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.

Everyone in our church community is invited to participate in a shared reading and discussion of “When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America” by Kevin Adler and Donald Burnes.

While FUMC members and friends are enjoying delicious fair-trade food items from Palestine, the Global Mission committee …

We Methodists have no shortage of traditions to ring in at the very beginning of each year:

One aspect of our life together that amazes me is our annual practice of end-of-year giving.

Biblically, it’s a little early to be talking about stars in the sky. We haven’t gotten to that part of the story yet; Epiphany isn’t for another couple weeks!

I have shared before that there is no slow season of ministry. If you trick yourself into thinking summer is the slow season, you will be caught completely off guard by service-learning trips, Methodist conference season, annual programming plans, and clergy transitions.

How does a weary world rejoice? 

This is the question we are wrestling with as we travel through this Advent season.

Your weekly newsletter is popping into your inbox a day early, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday. Whether your Thanksgiving will be with friends, family, or in cozy solitude, I hope that this week you will know that there are many who give thanks for you.

Clickbaity, silver bullet self-help gimmicks collect the highest amount of skepticism. Titles like “One Quick Trick To Unlock A More Productive You,” “The One Thing Every CEO Does Before 8:00 am,” “Hack Your Finances With 3 Easy Tools,” or “5 Steps To Your Happiest Life Now,” make me cringe.

We’re at cruising altitude and the beverage cart is finally coming around. Just as I asked of you all in worship a couple weeks ago whenever you’re in this scenario (or anywhere else out in the world), I wonder now: What is God’s dream for the future of First Church? Today, my wondering is around God’s dream for our resilience. 

Thank you for all of your book donations and cash contributions to the FUMC library book sale that was held in October.