Listening to God Together

Are We Safe? We’re all busy trying to stay safe.  “Safer at Home”, wear your mask, gloves vs. no gloves, grocery store vs. take out (how do we know they didn’t wipe their nose while they were wearing their gloves?), disinfectant wipes in our cars (did you wipe your keys?), somebody you know is getting tested, a friend wants to come visit (how long have they been in quarantine?), you have to take a trip for business and your daughter thinks you’re crazy…. How safe is Safe?  And what is the cost of trying to keep everybody safe? My dear friend Corrine died last night.  It wasn’t Corona virus, it was age.  She was almost 90, and she gradually gave systems of her body over to God.  She trusted Him.  Her family was able to gather around her at home.  What a blessing for all of them. But were they safe?  What if they had been forced to stay apart to stay Safe like some of us in this season?  Safe....but what? Can we eve...

   Photo by Tracy Pellegrino Believe. Pray. Trust. We need connection with God and others.  It’s hard-wired in our brains.  Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are created in God’s own image and likeness.  God is in relationship with His own members of the Trinity—I guess you could say that God is a relationship.  And He created us because He wanted a relationship with us.  So what is our relationship with God like? Do we believe God loves us and that He is good? Do we pray, spending time talking to Him and listening to Him? Do we trust God in the deep places of our hearts? We read the scriptures and see that it is true: God is love, God is good, God is trustworthy, God wants us to grow into His image.  Paul prays for the Ephesians: 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according ...

I’ve been planting things in the yard. I can’t help it.  Spring rolls around and it just begs me to plant things!  Pasture grass in the pastures, lettuce, zucchini and tomatoes in the raised beds.  This year, I even bought some blueberry plants.   I really want all my little plants to flourish.  We’ve got great soil and plenty of water, and even the occasional coffee grounds (tomatoes and blueberries both like acidic soil).  But we have Enemies— Squirrels.  Squirrels love everything I grow.  The little Workers of Iniquity even like the spiny stems of zucchini vines!   This year I am trusting my Rat Terriers to keep the Enemy scattered and out of my plants.  I reward them handsomely—fortunately they are easy to please! David tells us that “ Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.”  He even promises that they will bear fruit in...

What a gorgeous day this has been!  After Sunday and Monday being gloomy, this morning was a breath of fresh air.  The light came streaming in my window this morning, making it easy to get up and meet the new day.  In my errand run, I couldn’t help it. I drove out to Point Mugu to watch the ocean for a few minutes. Did you know we are officially in the middle of Bright Week?  The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Bright Week for a full week after Easter, ending with Orthodox Easter the following Sunday, and the whole week is treated as a single day. Imagine the Light from the Risen Christ presiding over everything we do for a whole week.  That sounds like a real celebration to me! We usually read this verse from Isaiah 60 at Christmas time, but when I read it in the context of Easter, the prophecy fairly jumped off the page! Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. ( Isaiah 60:1 )...