Life is annoying. Not all the time, but there are moments when your plans and expectations are replaced with more pressing needs or unexpected distractions. These times can quickly steal your joy and affect other areas of your life. We can not isolate ourselves from annoyances, and in the bigger picture, they are often quite insignificant. At any moment, we know that there are people […]
The closing months of the year are a flurry of activity as the weather changes and we progress through a series of holidays. If we are not careful, we can be focused on checking off all of the events while we miss the meaning. Just five days ago, we paused to celebrate Thanksgiving. We gathered with family, friends, and our community to appreciate one another. […]
Saturday, our congregation had the privilege of serving almost 200 people as we provided support for the first Amish Country Running Festival. People came from our region and state, around the United States, and from Canada to participate in the event, which included runs from one mile to a full marathon, all through the scenic beauty of Amish country. Some of our people participated in […]
I am, unfortunately, prone to the occasional bout of whining. Often, it comes in some form of self-pity that believes my life should be different, that I shouldn’t have to face things I want to avoid or go without things I want. This is typically when I hear the voice of a good friend shouting, “First world problems.” There is a lot of truth to […]