Here We Go Again — a Mother’s Day Reflection
By Missy Smith Here we go again…. It’s another morning and my alarm goes off. As I reach to silence it…. I take a deep sigh and I cringe. I know that when my feet hit the floor they will not stop until I come back to this bed in the late hours of the […]
BABY GRACE AND GOD’S AMAZING GRACE
By Jim McSwain The following encounter is of an experience I had with a patient in the hospital. This encounter was a significant personal moment in my ministry as a chaplain at CHS-Cleveland. I was paged to the maternity ward and as I entered the room I saw that the patient was a young mother. Her […]
For All the Twists of Life’s Journey…
By Sue Smith Don and I had both just retired. We were settling well into God’s intention for service from a “retirement point of view.” I had always held fast to the challenge from scripture, “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24), and God […]
High Hopes, 92 Years and Counting!
By J.A. West I was born and reared in Wilmington, NC, but when I was 18 years old, the US Navy changed all of that. I was about to be drafted into the army, but I chose to join the Navy instead. The Navy took us 19-year-olds and spent a year training us and hoping […]
Called to a Song of Unity: A Faith Story
By Justin Harper God grows on you. Or for some…God grows IN you. Sure, we can grow in God, but have you ever thought of it like this: What if when God calls YOU out, it is at just the RIGHT time and at just the RIGHT place? HE searches for YOU…everyday. It took me […]
Black Swan Event — Have You Had One?
By John Crosland I am currently reading a book titled The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb. Mr. Taleb was previously a “quant,” an individual who created algorithms for high speed trading for investment banks on Wall Street. His real interests and strengths were in ascertaining the risks that were unforeseen. (This is not unlike being […]
Overcomer: A Journey Through Grief
By Suzanne Martin In June 2015, my husband, Don, and I flew from Oklahoma to North Carolina for an annual month-long stay with family. All the emotions were in tow: excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and happiness. The morning after we arrived, my world changed abruptly and I would never be the same. As Pop, as Don […]
Prayer for Inauguration Day, 2017
Dear Father, as the transition of power is taking place in our nation this week, we take time to pray for our leaders as Paul brings the charge in Scripture, “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you kow how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their […]
Whose Voice is It, Anyway?
By Carol Ann Forgas God gives every single one of us a very specific talent – one that, I believe, should be used to return praises to Him – so that all may hear and learn of Him. I have said many times that my voice is just a voice on loan. I wish I […]
Pastor’s Log, Stardate 1-10-2017: Destination Peace
Perhaps you can remember the television show Star Trek from the late 1960’s. The show was a science fiction adventure into the vast reaches of the universe and week after week the voice-over of Captain Kirk from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise would begin, “Captain’s log, Stardate 41239. Our destination is ……,” and the episode, duly identified, would […]