Conflict is a huge part of life, don’t you think? Resolving conflict is probably one of the hardest tasks ever! Hurt feelings, power struggles, and misunderstandings often fester into resentment and bitterness if left unchecked. In the case of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the kingdom of Israel is torn in two. Their story is far from […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 13
My friend Dave Sitler, who is an orthopedic surgeon, told a group of us on Sunday about one of the practices he uses to follow a broken bone he has set in a cast. Since his story fit right in with the frog story Pastor Sean told us, I thought it worth thinking about a […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 12
Okay, to be honest, I’m having a bit of a tough time getting back into the rhythm of The Story. The holiday season, wonderful as it is, has gotten me off track. My mind’s still on Jesus’ birth, not David’s sin. And hanging up that new calendar a few days ago reminded me that it’s […]
Jane’s Blog – Advent Week 4
As I listened to Pastor Rob’s message this past Sunday, one word captured my thinking: Intervention. On my bulletin, where I scribble my notes, I put several boxes around the word. That’s a pretty good indication – I know from past experience – that the Holy Spirit has something he wants to say to me […]
Jane’s Blog – Advent Week 3
How about that choir music at PLC this past Sunday??? Beautiful!! I had a slight advantage going into the service in that my husband brought the music rehearsal CD home a few weeks ago so he could learn his flute part. By far my favorite lyrics were, “Let us be joy to the world! Let […]
Jane’s Blog – Advent, Week 2
On Sunday Pastor Greg asked the question, “Has trash taken residence in our souls?” I’ve been thinking about that since then in conjunction with this week’s Advent theme of “Repent.” I don’t know about you, but in my house trash has a way of getting out of control. Almost everything I use comes with a […]
Jane’s Blog – Advent, Week 1
Have you heard the saying: “Forewarned is Forearmed”? According to a quick internet search the expression dates from the end of the 16th Century, and forearm is an archaic verb meaning “to arm in advance.” I was reminded of it on Sunday when Pastor Greg spoke on Jesus’ words of warning about his second coming […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 11
There’s a certain fascination with the story of David and Goliath, isn’t there? I’ve been thinking about it for a week now, and the Lord keeps bringing a couple of phrases from the story to my mind to think about in deeper ways. Here’s my list: 1) 1 Samuel 17:16: “For forty days the Philistine […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 10
Several years ago I saw a book in a small gift shop in Coronado titled “IF.” Such a small word; such a big subject! The dictionary defines ‘if’ as “a condition or qualification” and that certainly is what it implies in 1 Samuel 12:14. Samuel tells the people on behalf of the Lord that IF […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 9
There’s a tiny little phrase in The Story of Ruth this week that jumped out at me. It’s the phrase, “As it turned out…” found in Ruth 2:3b. In the context of the chapter, Ruth has asked Naomi for her approval to go to the fields “and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in […]