Justified

By Cheri Cowell

Recently several high profile court cases played themselves out in the media. Emotions were high on both sides, and depending on which media outlet you listened to, when the verdict was pronounced justice had prevailed or had been done a disservice. I wondered what it must feel like for the victims in each case, and what it must feel like to the accused when the jury finds them not guilty when they are, or guilty when they aren’t. It is difficult to imagine a verdict that is truly just.

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Spiritual Creatures on a Physical Journey

By Peter Lundell

Most people don’t think much past what they can see—especially if it’s bills to pay or the car ahead of them. But if asked, they might agree that they’re physical creatures who may or may not be on a spiritual journey.
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Traveling Unfamiliar Roads

By Virginia Smith

At times the road we travel in this life seems to lead to some pretty strange places.  I can get a bit anxious at times, wondering where God is leading me.  Then I remember.  He paved the road.  He knows every inch.

When my kids were younger, I got on a walking kick.  I power-walked the same route through my neighborhood every day, and I used the time to pray.  One beautiful sunny morning as I passed blooming spring flowers and prayed for my children and my husband, I had the strangest urge.  At the intersection where I always turned right, it occurred to me that I could turn left instead.  No reason really, just a feeling that wouldn’t go away.  The break in my routine felt like the right thing to do, so I did.  A couple of blocks later, I decided to turn down an unfamiliar street.  I didn’t know where it would lead, but it seemed like a nice street.  After a few blocks, I turned up yet another unfamiliar street that just felt right.  A thought occurred to me and I whispered, “Lord, are You telling me to turn down this street?”

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So Not My Gift

By Cynthia Ruchti 

I caught myself saying it again the other day as I cleaned up the church kitchen after helping to serve snacks during fellowship time following the worship service.

Choosing how much to purchase and prepare for an unknown number of congregants is “sooooo not my gift.”

The family of a newborn is counting on me to provide their supper on Wednesday night. Me? I can cook. It’s not that. I actually cook pretty well. But I feel so much more comfortable writing a clever little poem for a baby shower than I do providing a meal. I told the deaconess in charge of scheduling meals for situations like this, “I found it funny, considering my crazy life this week. Rather than saying yes, I should have requested meals for ME!”

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From a Hole

By Cheri Cowell

Have you ever fallen in a hole? Recently my local news shared the story of a woman who, while out walking her dog, fell into a ten-foot deep, two-foot wide cylinder-shaped hole. It took several hours for the rescuers to safely extract her from her earthen prison.

There have been many times I’ve fallen into a hole. Oh, not a real hole, but a hole nonetheless. These are the dark times in my life; times when I’ve felt alone, persecuted, misunderstood, even abandoned by God. There is no way God can reach me here, I say, knowing that it’s not true.

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