Spring Creek's Blog


Songs of Loudest Praise

By Pastor Dinah
March 27, 2024

When they looked back on Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem from the other side of the empty tomb, the disciples must have said that was great. That was really something.  But you know what? While it's a wonderful memory, it was ...

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Forgiveness

By Pastor Dinah
March 20, 2024

Forgiveness is an internal process that is then directed outwardly. It's not something that I do for you. It's not something that depends upon you. It's an internal process, something that I primarily do for me.  Forgiveness can require more than just my own wil...

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Praise the Mount

By Pastor Dinah Shelly
March 06, 2024

What do other people think of me? It's none of my business.  The Bible suggests that there is an exception to this rule, and you can guess the exception. The exception is Jesus.  Jesus asks the disciples.  “Who do people say that I am?” An...

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Rescue Me

By Pastor Dinah Shelly
February 28, 2024

Simon Peter makes things harder than they have to be. I do that, too. I often make things harder than they have to be. Peter decides to show courage. “I'm going to walk on water like God walks on water.” Peter doesn't have to walk on wat...

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The Transfiguration

By Pastor Dinah Shelly
February 14, 2024

In this moment of high revelation, Jesus is joined by two prophets in the wilderness.  In the Bible, the wilderness represents uncharted territory, and Moses and Elijah know it well. The threat of danger looms in the wilderness, and success is questionable because it's ...

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Abundance

February 07, 2024
Jesus gave us two commandments that sum up all of God's commandments. The first one is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second one is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. We believe that Jesus refers to neighbor as all people. Howev...

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Relationships

By Pastor Dinah
January 31, 2024

Glory is a manifestation of God's presence. It's a place where we see God. This is so obvious to me when I'm out in creation, like a fabulous thunderstorm or a pleasant light shining through tree branches or a full moon in a clear sky. I saw all these glorious things just this ...

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Joy

By Pastor Dinah
January 24, 2024

The topic for this week in the Love Your Actual Neighbor series is JOY.  Joy is the first key ingredient in good neighboring. Neighboring is about living out our faith exactly where we are planted and it involves joy, relationship, and abundance. I think it's really impor...

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Key Ingredients of Neighboring

By Pastor Dinah
January 17, 2024

God is telling a story in a church congregation. Any church congregation, this church congregation, and we are all actors in that story, listening for our lines. The scripture informs how well we hear the Holy Spirit cueing us with our lines. So, I'm not going to dictate to you...

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Attitude of Gratitude

By Pastor Frank Ritchie
September 27, 2023

Like the Israelites, we need many things, but despite God's generous provision, we want more, don't we? How many of us here have everything that we need?  I mean, you’ve got food in your pantry, you’ve got clothes on your back, you proba...

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Freedom

September 13, 2023
Now the plagues and the Passover are a battle for freedom, and they are also a revelation. They are essentially revealing the identity of Yahweh, revealing who God is and what God is about.  Consider the courage. I think courage is really important. The courage of the Israe...

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Loving God

August 23, 2023
Loving God, look inside of us, help us to look inside of ourselves, to see what it is that makes us tick, or fails to make us tick in order that we may choose the virtue of reverence in our lives, the life of our church, community, family and in all of Your children.  A...

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Do a good turn daily and give thanks

August 15, 2023
Almighty God -- Your humble heart and gentle soul placed each of us in the world of change that also allows us to seek the things that endure.  Continue helping us grow richer in love and see the goodness of people who grow in faith and serve You.  Allow us to praise wi...

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Jacob's Struggles

By Pastor Dinah
August 09, 2023

Any story about a patriarch in Genesis is a story about you and me and who we are called to be. Jacob, the heel grabber, the manipulator of friends and family, has become Israel.  One who struggles with God. To wrestle with God, some things are worth the fight.  But...

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The Devotion of Jacob

By Alan Brown
August 02, 2023

Laban represents a figure of power in Jacob's life that has motivations contrary to the vision that Jacob now holds true. Laban is the distraction that we all face in life that occupies our time, energy, financial resources and pulls our emotional strings to work for their purpo...

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Climbing Jacob's ladder

By Pastor Alan Brown
July 27, 2023

Our little hero Jacob is on a path that we can surely describe as unconventional, especially since he’s not really allowed the inner good person to step away from the muck and do something that is actually good. Well, things can change.  Sometimes they change due to h...

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Two Brothers

By Pastor Dinah Shelly
July 19, 2023

We talked about the heroes in the Bible, and we talked about how we could be heroes in God's story as well.  Stories of the Bible heroes tell us something about who we want to be, who we hope to become, so who are we? We want to be people who rely on God even w...

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Making Good Choices

By Pastor Dinah
July 12, 2023

What does it take to be compatible with God's covenant? I would tell you it takes a tremendous amount of generosity and courage. A desire, a will to see new things even when you might fall in partnership with God. Dare I say, it takes a sense of humor as well. Laughter is there....

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The Risk of Faith

By Pastor Dinah
July 05, 2023

Are you your brother’s keeper?  Genesis wants you to know you certainly are. But are you your brother’s owner or dictator or manager of their sin?  NO WAY.  Let each person say what separates them from the life-giving ways of our Lord God. ...

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A Man had two sons

By Pastor Dinah
June 21, 2023

The world we live in was called into existence and proclaimed good by the Creator. This goodness is always within our reach, and it is there for us to put our focus upon. What's clear, though, is that there's conflict. God listens to our cries. God hears our pain. Blessings c...

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Set The Table

By Pastor Becky Hamann
June 14, 2023

God's timing is not ours, but God's vision expands generations from the far reaches of the past into the future of eternity. But rest assured, God is faithful. Last week, Pastor Dinah helped us understand that blessing is calling out goodness. It's the projection of good into th...

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Original Blessing

By Pastor Dinah
June 07, 2023

Poetry in the Bible - Poetry is a way to get a deep truth, and it is a wonderful way to express the truth of beauty which is so evident in creation. God calls the world into being not with authoritative demands. Notice that God creates with very little effort, no debate and...

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Believe

By Joan Harman
June 07, 2023

In one of the verses of Psalm 27, the psalmist sings, "I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." What a verse to ponder in this moment.  It is so crucial now as it has been in the past. Is goodness only manifest on the other side of lif...

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The Places We Will Go

By Pastor Dinah
June 05, 2023



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Sin

By Pastor Frank
February 01, 2022

All means all and that is all!! Sin is something we all do. Jesus said, “whoever is without sin cast the first stone. “ Because others sin differently than us doesn’t make them better or worse than us. Grace is granted to all, because all of us need it, regardle...

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Isaiah

By Joan Harman
January 28, 2022

The events of my experiences always are infused by my Bible reading at the moment.  As the facts surrounding the anti-semitic attack on the synagogue in Texas unfold, I'm thinking how God talks about God's chosen people in the closing chapters of Isaiah.  Very encou...

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Human Life

By Pastor Frank
January 28, 2022

Jesus experienced every aspect of human life so he could fully relate to us on every level. When we experience pain, Jesus knows pain, we experience loss, Jesus knows loss, we experience betrayal, Jesus knows betrayal, when we experience love, Jesus knows love. Jesus is love! Hav...

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ST. JOSEPH AND HIS WORLD

By Joan Harman
January 07, 2022

ST. JOSEPH AND HIS WORLD by Mike Aquilina One devotional book I've been reading over the Christmas Days is a biography of Joseph, the earthly father of the Son of God, the one chosen to guard, mentor, instruct, and love enough to let Jesus go out to serve as Emmanuel, God wi...

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Child of God

By Pastor Frank
January 07, 2022

Hey you. Yes you reading this. In case you didn’t know it, you are a child of God. No matter who you are , what you’ve done or where you’re from you are a child of God regardless. You matter to God and to the body of Christ. May we all come to know who and whos...

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Best

By Pastor Frank
December 16, 2021

May we bring our best to God today and every day as thanks for all God has done for us. Lord Jesus guide us today and every day so we may be the church for those God places before us. Strengthen us to be the hands and feet of Christ, to be the voice of truth, and to be love bear...

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Star

By Joan Harman
December 16, 2021

I care not whether the Star in the East was a comet or a Supernova, but I am intrigued by the Nostradamus of the ancient world who made predictions like this at a time when just about everyone was probably watching the heavens every night....... Did this person have access t...

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Peter

By Pastor Frank
December 13, 2021

Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water. He stepped out in faith to do the impossible and his faith lifted him up on the water. But he began to fear and started to sink but Jesus pulled him back up on the waters. All of us. at times, I think have the ability to walk on...

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The Invitation

By Joan Harman
December 03, 2021

"The Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer was the foundational inspiration for some discussion at the women's retreat held this fall. This poem inspired me to use the poet's format and think about the "Christmas Stories" in Matthew and Luke, to think about my own anticipati...

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Blessings

By Pastor Frank
December 02, 2021

I was reminded by God this morning that In the grand scope of the world our actual problems are not the end of the world. May we count our days as blessings and may we count our problems large and small as opportunities. Opportunities to seek and see God in all things and in all...

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Same

By Frank Ritchie
November 09, 2021

We are not all the same. Something to think about. God did make us all and in many ways the same. Nothing makes us better or worse than anyone else. How we choose to live and love now that makes a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. God may we live like you ...

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Geometric Shapes

By Joan Harman
November 09, 2021

Geometric shapes are used in every field of thought and endeavor as either guides or metaphors.  In our field of theology and Bible Study, we most often use a triangle, based on the Trinity of God, but John Wesley did have his golden quadrilateral that added three other r...

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Grateful Heart

By Pastor Frank
November 03, 2021

As we approach thanksgiving many people turn their thoughts to being grateful for the things they have. Then shortly after they go back to the social norm which tells us we need more. So let’s start today and everyday with a grateful heart and then let’s practice stay...

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Laugh

By Pastor Frank
October 27, 2021

Sometimes you just have to laugh. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Laughing brings so much joy into our lives and hearts. Whether we are laughing at ourselves(which we should do often) or at a situation or a friend it is important for us to experience that type of joy in o...

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Freedom

By Pastor Frank
October 25, 2021

With all the freedoms we have in this country the freedom to treat people with decency and respect seems to be lost. People would rather be right then nice! People would rather do what they please without regard to other people. We have the greatest freedom there is, the freedom ...

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Unpredictable

By Pastor Frank
October 21, 2021

Life can and at times be crazy and unpredictable. But no matter what craziness comes in and goes out. It is a joyously good deal, why, Because We have a lot to be thankful for. Whatever life throughs at you embrace the moment and the time because they will pass to soon or soon en...

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Language

By Joan Harman
October 21, 2021

KIMCHI, SILO AND ME Language is a living entity, and just forget the delineations on chemistry charts.  Words go away, words introduce themselves.  Words change meanings. My generation’s, “Just do whatever works best,” has morphed to, “Gam...

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Priorities

By Pastor Frank
October 18, 2021

Priorities are either set by yourself or set by your circumstances. Either you choose your own priorities or life will set them for you. Not deciding your priorities is actually deciding. So what is a priority in your life? Look at where you spend your time, your money, and your...

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Food

By Joan Harman
October 18, 2021

This week let's talk about food.  If you participated in the Rise for Hunger last Sunday what was/is your impressionism of that ministry? It seems to me that this charity is like Habitat for Humanity in that they provide the structure and do all the organizational work ...

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HOPE

By Pastor Frank
October 07, 2021

Hope is found from within. With all the things that we have seen going on in the world and in our own country I choose to see hope. Hope lies within all of us. Hope lies within the cross. The media and others would like us to believe the worst of times is here and we should blame...

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Hunger

By Joan Harman
October 06, 2021

Our congregation is addressing hunger/food this weekend.  I'm addressing thirst/water. As I write this I'm sitting on our back porch.  We're having a late afternoon soaker rain, a sustaining shower.  No thunder, no lightning, just warm rain.   AAh...

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Choice

By Pastor Frank
September 24, 2021

Faith is a personal choice. A choice to trust and believe that you are a child of God, created in God’s image and that you have sacred worth to God. There are often times in our lives(almost daily for me) that I deem my self unworthy of God’s love. I have to remind my...

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Looking back

By Joan Harman
September 23, 2021

PSALM 90    Looking back There is a devotional practice I've mentioned previously where you spend times during the year reading and thinking about the age you will be on your next birthday and study the Psalm corresponding to that number.   That pract...

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Storm

By Pastor Frank
September 22, 2021

With all the crazy storms out in the gulf right now it got me wondering. Thunder and lightning not to mention the rain in its self. When the storms come in our lives, what do we do? Do we allow the storms to devastate us or cripple us or do we grow and learn? Even rejoice because...

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Life

By Pastor Frank
September 21, 2021

"I don't know where I am going but I sure know where I've been". It is a lyric from and old Whitesnake song. That line right there when I reflect on my life speaks volumes to the presence of God in my life. If I knew everything that would lead me to this point and place in my lif...

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New Day

By Pastor Frank
September 17, 2021

It’s a new day, a new start, a new opportunity. Lord of life and opportunity guide us today, guide our thoughts that they are of love and compassion for those you place before us. Guide our steps as we go to and from that they lead others to you O God. Guide our minds God t...

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Think

By Joan Harman
September 16, 2021

SAVE THE DATE:  End of July 2061 Halley's comet will be coming 'round earth, and according to the inside trail from astronomers , it will be 5X closer to earth than its last visit. When I think of comets, I think Kohoutek. I remember setting the alarm for 2 or 3 or 4 ...

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Expectations

By Pastor Frank
September 15, 2021

Expectations are in my opinion just as bad as opinions. If we set them to high we are often disappointed. If we don't set them high enough we can become lackadaisical. Opinions are the same way if we value ours or even someone else's to high or not high enough they have the power...

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Reflect

By Joan Harman
September 09, 2021

Whatever our dispensation in the personal, civic, or political realm, this week has been a heart bruiser.  If we weren't Christian, what adjectives would we use to describe the events of the end of August, beginning of September?  Shameful/triumphal, necessary/ridi...

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Trials

By Pastor Frank
September 09, 2021

A couple of Tylenol and some more sleep and you wake up feeling much better. I think we often wish the trials and hurt that we go through in life could be solved that simply. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Sometimes the situation can be fixed or healed quickly but someti...

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Creation

By Joan Harman
September 07, 2021

I have a long history of experience with plants and animals, but at this time of my life I'm most drawn to praise by the inorganics of the creation. So, let's pop the Bible Fill in the Blanks part in the beginning this week.     1. She's worth her wei...

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Whose are you?

By Pastor Frank
September 07, 2021

Do you know who you are? Do you know whose you are? After a conversation yesterday these two questions were then asked? It is my understanding and belief that you must recognize whose you are to really identify who you are. I never really had an identity until I had a relationshi...

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Today

By Pastor Frank
September 01, 2021

Lord Jesus today is another glorious day, What matters is how we live and handle today. Not yesterday or tomorrow but today. This day this moment right now is all we really have. So how are you going to spend today? Will it be with hate, fear, anger, worry, jealousy? Or will it b...

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Mankind

By Pastor Frank
August 31, 2021

I am thinking a lot about who we are as people. The term mankind is often used to describe the human race. Human beings is another term to describe us. I wonder what the world would look like if we as a society stopped looking at ourselves as groups of races and started looking ...

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Our Soul

By Pastor Frank
August 30, 2021

When our bodies are hurt we go to our doctors. When our vision is blurry we go see our eye doctor. Ears hurt then ear doctor, foot hurts then foot doctor. Or we might go to a general doctor and they might help us or send us to a specialist. What about our souls? Do we go to the g...

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Animals of the Bible

By Joan Harman
August 27, 2021

This week let's think of the animals of the Bible.  We spend a lot of time thinking about the top animal in the food chain-US. Today let's mull over the rest of the animal kingdom.  I read about animals in various contexts this week.  One newspaper account was...

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Balance

By Pastor Frank
August 27, 2021

Balancing all the things in life can be really hard. Often we try to do to much and then things happen, we forget to do this or that or we over commit to things and then have to back out or we burn out. We need to make sure to take time to just be and find balance. We don’t...

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FROG

By Pastor Frank
August 25, 2021

People say, ”Take a leap of faith.” What is that? FROG- Fully Relying on God. “Relying on God has to start all over every day, as if nothing has yet been done." - CS Lewis Lord, thank you for what you did for us yesterday, and thank you for what you will do t...

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Sacrifice

By Pastor Frank
August 24, 2021

Is sacrifice a bad thing? In terms of our spiritual lives and our lives as followers of Christ I don't believe so. PAUL in Romans calls us to be living sacrifices. So in this context sacrifice is not a dirty word, but a resurrection word. A word of life. When we look at our liv...

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Community

By Pastor Frank
August 20, 2021

Community is about people living together, Christian community is people living for each other. There is a big difference. Are we working towards and living towards Christian community or just community. God first, others second and then ourselves. Today lord help us to live int...

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Plants

By Joan Harman
August 19, 2021

  How many plants have you looked at today?  Really looked.  And thought about.  And thanked God for them. Plants weren't the first in the creation.  They couldn't be for they need the sun and the water to grow.  But they are the first in the fo...

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Just Be

By Pastor Frank
August 19, 2021

Let's take time today to just be. Be thankful, be happy, be you, be love, be grace, be forgiveness, be bold, be content, be at peace, be Christ today so just maybe the kingdom will grow just a little more. Happy Sunday my friends remember God loves ya and so do I. Lord Jesus toda...

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Who are you?

By Pastor Frank
August 18, 2021

  Who are you? What defines you? what makes you, you? For many people these questions might go unanswered. But as followers of Christ, disciples in Gods world the answers should be obvious. Our answers I believe should be we are children of God, love should define us And Ch...

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Find the Good in all things

By Pastor Frank
August 17, 2021

  Disappointment, failure, and too many other non positive things happen in life that we have no control over. But there is also joy, success and a host of very positive things that happen in life that we have no control over either. I think our outlook and view of life dep...

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Genesis 19

By Joan Harman
August 11, 2021

This morning I read of three theophanies in my devotions.  Do you pay attention, as I do, when things come in threes? The devotional reading in Upper Room was from Genesis 19.  This event follows a conversation Abraham had with the Lord, pleading with God to sav...

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Attitude

By Frank Ritchie
August 11, 2021

How we act or react to things or situations or people in life has a great effect on our attitudes. Life happens, people are people, and how we react or act says a lot about our attitude and I think our own lives. Our attitude is one thing that we have complete control over. In ev...

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Hope

By Joan Harman
July 29, 2021

This week I took my stack of VERY GOOD NOTES from a variety of sources and noticed that there is no cohesion to form one elaborated thought.  So, it's a week of Ramblings, because "You gotta see these!  They are SO good."  Here's the format.  Each great idea...

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Thursday 29, 2021

July 29, 2021
Loving God guide us today as we go about our day, remind us to praise you and trust you. Help us represent and re-present your Son for this is our call, our goal, our ministry for the world today. Use us O God. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we might be strong disciples for...

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