From Our Pastor | In 2 Timothy 3:1, we read, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.”  The subsequent verses describe these days.  It is almost impossible to read those verses without realizing they describe these days in which we live.  Evil, wickedness, fraud, and deception surround us.  There does not seem to be an institution that has not been corrupted.  These are truly evil and difficult days.

From Our Family and Music Minister | Some of my friends become “hangry” if they have not eaten in a while. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is when someone becomes irritable or moody due to being hungry.

From Our Pastor | Do you enjoy waiting?  Most of us don’t!  We would much rather be doing something.  This is especially true if the waiting is in relation to a problem being solved or a need being met.  We much prefer actively working for a solution.

From Our Family and Music Minster
| Shortly after Saskia and I got engaged, she wanted us to get a dog together. Long story short, with a bit of manipulation and the help of Sami and Eilene, I was the proud co-owner of a golden retriever puppy the following weekend. As promised, Saskia took care of him, house-trained him, played with him, and even taught him to ring a doorbell to let us know he wanted to go outside. However, shortly after we were married and he moved in with me, it became apparent that I was his human. Saskia wakes up an extra 30 minutes early to take him outside and play at 4:45 AM. A few days last week, I started back into the routine of going and working out in the morning. Maverick stands and watches for me to come out and tell him goodbye before he plays with his football. No matter what Saskia does or how little attention I give Maverick, he is faithful and loyal to me and always shows it.

From Our Pastor | It has often been stated that the only constant in life is change.  Every one of us is moving through our present circumstances on our way to different circumstances.  Life is a series of stages and phases.

From Our Family and Music Minster |
When I was growing up, sitting still and being quiet was not an ability that I possessed. Therefore, I really enjoyed Sunday School, but attending worship services was a struggle, usually because I got in trouble for talking or moving around too much. So when Sunday morning came, I would stay upstairs quietly in my room, hoping my parents would forget me and go to church without me. However, in all the years, I was forgotten at daycare, my grandparent’s house, and even was left at church a few times, but they never left for church without me. Looking back, I can see what a great blessing it was to have parents who were faithful to God and did their best to teach me the Gospel.

From Our Pastor | How can we face life in these days?  Everywhere we look we see violence, lies, fraud, evil and hatred.  It would very easy to get depressed and defeated.  In fact, that would be a normal reaction to these times.

From Our Family and Music Minster |
As the new year begins, most people are setting goals for things they want to accomplish in the upcoming year. If you are like me, you haven’t even started on the list you made last year. As we set our goals, we must consider if we are keeping God at the center of those goals. As Christians, we can be guilty of compartmentalizing our lives, especially when it comes to worship, work, and play. We give God our main focus on Sunday. However, the rest of the time, He may be along with us for the ride, but we keep Him in the back seat with the radio turned up, so we aren’t always hearing His instruction.

From Our Pastor | Happy New Year!  I hope that 2024 is a wonderful year for you.  I pray we all grow in grace and experience God working in our lives as never before.

From Our Pastor | Merry Christmas!  I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season.  It is a wonderful time of excitement and fun.  Children (including those of us who never grew up) love this time of year.