Lenten Devotional Book 2012

Lent 2012 A Collection of Devotions

written by members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church

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ntroduction

Lent is the time in the church year when we focus on Jesus’ suffering and death. His willingness to suffer and die for us shows us the extent of His love for us. He did not live and die for Himself; but instead He lived and died for us. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, chapter 5: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Yes, Christ died for us, the sinners. In the pages of this book you will encounter people who have been transformed by the love of Christ: Sinners who have been redeemed. Some are stories of suffering and sacrifice. Others are stories of great triumph. Most all of them are stories about learning and growing in faith. I hope you will learn and grow, as well, through the reading of people’s personal testimonies that bring us closer to the cross.

I want to thank all of the contributing authors for sharing so much about themselves in the pages of this book. I especially want to thank those who are new to Aldersgate for opening up and letting us get to know you.

As always, this booklet could not be done without the tireless efforts of Holly Hall and Mary Taylor, who recruited people to write the devotions, did the editing, formatting, recruited proofreaders, and got the materials printed for our benefit.

I hope you will be inspired this year and that this book will help you to have a holy Lent.

Peace of Christ, Pastor Doug Lain 2

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able of Contents

Date Author

Scripture

Page

2/22 2/23 2/24 2/25

David Leonard Walter Finnigan Lynn Wilfong Jennie McDonald

Jeremiah 29:11 Philippians 4:6-7 Jeremiah 29:9-13 Roman 10:8-10 Revelations 3:20

6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13

2/26 2/27 2/28 2/29 3/01 3/02 3/03

Worship and Rest Jim Smith Jack Snyder Andy Revill Mary Lynn Van Deventer Roy Swaringen Lara Rowland

Psalms 107:1 Matthew 6:15-17 Psalm 30:5 Matthew 18:1-5 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 1 Peter 5:7

14-18 19-20 21-22 23-25 26-27 28

3/04 3/05 3/06

Worship and Rest Stacey McCorison Mary Kathryn Panza

29-30 31-33

3/07 3/08 3/09 3/10

Jan Howe Garry Bowman Joyce Mackin Joyce Pendergrass

Isaiah 6:8 1 Corinthians 15:52, 55-57 Colossians 3:12-14 1 Peter 5:10 Imagine Job 1:21

3/11 3/12 3/13 3/14 3/15 3/16 3/17

Worship and Rest Michelle Schalliol Ron Pendergrass Jessica Hale Cheryl Joy Turner Ruth Kay Anne Collins

Jeremiah 29:11 Psalm 5:2 James 1:3 Psalm 91:11 Acts 2:41-47 John 14:6

43-45 46-48 49-52 53-54 55-56 57-58

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34-35 36-37 38-40 41-42

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able of Contents

Date Author

Scripture

3/18 3/19 3/20 3/21 3/22 3/23 3/24

Worship and Rest Mary Ellen Rogers Beth Menchini Peggy Gregory Jennifer McLamb April Perry Daniel Cole

Isaiah 58:10 Philippians 4:7 Romans 5:5 Jeremiah 29:11 Romans 1:5 Mark 1:12-15

59 60 61 62-63 64-67 68-69

3/25 3/26 3/27 3/28 3/29 3/30 3/31

Worship and Rest April Twine Dave Anderson Doug Morris Wendy Tillotson Summer Stanley Rochelle Nye

James 1:19-20 John 1:9 Amos 4:13 Philippians 4:6-7 Psalm 141:3 James 1:12

70-71 72-73 74-75 76 77 78-80

4/01 4/02 4/03

Worship and Rest Rob Tucker Jason McDonald

81-82 83-85

4/04 4/05 4/06 4/07

Marshall Wilfong Regina Carver Sheliah Lowans Doug Lain

Psalm 32:6-11 Matthew 7:7-11 Psalm 37:4 1 Samuel 16:7 1 Corinthians 11:1 Jeremiah 29:11 Galatians 5:22-25

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Page

86-87 88-89 90-91 92-95

Lenten Devotionals 2012

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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eremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“Lord of the Dance” I have always been a planner and organizer. When I was 20 I had a life plan with markers I wanted to reach in my 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. I have always planned vacations months in advance scheduling each day’s activities based on location, opportunity and cost – and of course balancing relaxation and fun. I am happiest when I have everything in its place and when I know what is going to happen. Predictability and I are close friends.

Or at least we were until 1995. That is when God blessed me with a wife whose middle name is spontaneity. For her there is nothing more exciting than a new day full of possibilities and potential. Vacations are spontaneous adventures with endless opportunities to be seized. Plans are nothing more than possible guidelines that can be followed, discarded, or even ignored as desired. If you are smiling reading this, I agree. God has a great sense of humor!

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He also has great wisdom. In many ways my walk with the Lord has mirrored my relationship with my wife.

Both have been a process of learning to let go, to be in the moment, to enjoy the journey and to trust that good things are coming – regardless of momentary confusion, fear and uncertainty. A few years ago we were going through a very difficult time with one of our family members and our minister at the time said “God is trying to get your attention. He is inviting you to dance with Him�. At the time I had no idea what she meant but recently I think I am beginning to understand. A dance can be an intimate engagement with another. To do it well you have to focus on your partner. You have to move together. You have to trust and depend on your partner. The engagement can be transformational when you surrender control.

As I have learned to let go of my need to create and follow plans, I have fallen more deeply in love with my wife and grown to greatly admire the way she engages in life and with our Lord. I am also continually reminded God is sovereign and in control. I am not. His plans are always better than mine. And I am happiest when I dance with Him and He leads.

Prayer: Lord, today I accept your invitation to dance.

I surrender my plans, my goals, and my aspirations.

Your will is better and wiser than mine. Today I will follow as you lead. Thank you for the adventures ahead.

David Leonard 7

Thursday, February 23, 2012

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hilippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“Instead of Worrying …. Pray” I don’t know about you, but I worry about everything!

For many years in my life I worried about all of the wrong things and never worried about how God was working in my life. I know God’s peace is always available to us, but I tend to forget about his peace during my daily activities. Every day we worry about everything--whether it is about our finances, spouses, children, or our jobs. We allow worry to creep in and take over our hearts. Many times I find myself focused on the problems in my life and not on my God. It is during those times in my life that I feel lost because I’m not in sync with God. When I am faced with worry and know I’m out of tune with God, I turn to Philippians 4:6,7. This causes me to celebrate. I celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, I make it as clear as I can to all the people I encounter that no matter what I’m dealing with I have God’s peace. I use this to let others know that I am on their side, working with them and not against them.

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Just like God is on our side working for us at all times, so many times we do not understand, but in his time we will see his path. So don’t worry. Instead of worrying, pray and let God know your concerns. When you give it all to God, you will feel God’s wholeness take over.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for all of the gifts You have given us, the love of our families and friends. I know that you are guiding me through every situation in my life, I trust in you God, giving You the glory for today. Knowing that you are in control and in your time all things will come. Amen.

Walter Finnigan

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Friday, February 24, 2012

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eremiah 29:9-13

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

“God Has a Plan” There’s a saying that goes, “if you want to make God laugh…tell him your plans”. Well, I must keep God in stitches, because I’m the Queen of Planners. I have calendars galore, posted notes by the dozens, schedules so tight I have to plan to stop and say “Hi” to my family. I get so focused on my “to do” lists, that I forget to ask God for guidance. I just keep marching on until suddenly my plans fall apart.

At one point this Nov/Dec., within a few weeks time, I had no workable kitchen, one car was in the shop, I had a dear, wonderful uncle to die suddenly over the Thanksgiving holiday, and a lovely younger cousin to be diagnosed with inoperable cancer, and my dearest friend on four legs (Ginger), passed suddenly and tragically, after 11 years of companionship. This wasn’t in my plans! This was to be a joyful time, preparing for Christmas, baking up a storm, running around Durham shopping for gifts, and making plans to visit family.

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Instead I found myself miserable, crying most evenings, and wondering why was this all happening at once.

That’s when my beautiful sister Celia reminded me, “Lynn, there’s got to be a plan in all of this”. “God has a plan”. Not what I wanted to hear. I just wanted my dog back, my kitchen working, and my family alive and healthy so I could visit and have a great time.

Wasn’t going to happen. But that conversation stuck in my head that day. That night, when once again, I was feeling very low, I prayed. I prayed hard, and long, and told God how truly sorry I was for the anger I felt.

There came a beautiful calm, and a knowledge that there was a plan…it just wasn’t mine, and I was more than fine with that. I prayed for guidance this time, for God to please, no matter how much I tug and want to run, not let go of my hand. This time I needed to follow. I was still sad at the losses in my life, but now I knew that God was in charge and taking care of everything. I’m sure I will still jump to the line at times, but thankfully God will be there to remind me who’s the Planner.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I let go of your hand and run in front. I pray that I’m never so blind that I can’t see you stretching your hand out to mine. Guide me each and every day, and may I always follow in your plans, and not insist on mine. For you have nothing but love for me. I pray with all my heart in Jesus’ name. Amen

Lynn Wilfong 11

Saturday, February 25, 2012

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omans 10: 8-10

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

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evelation 3:20

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

“Asking Jesus into Your Heart” When my husband Jason and I were dating we would travel the roads of Michigan often. Our travels were usually to a lake for jet skiing or to and from our parents’ houses. Typically I would drive and Jason would usually fall asleep in the passenger’s seat. One trip I had a powerful feeling come over me. What if we were to get in an accident and this was the last moment I had here on earth? I looked over at him peacefully sleeping and did not want that moment to ever end. I was a babe to Christianity. I thought “The man upstairs” was the renter who lived above you.

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But I remembered something Jason’s mom had talked to me about. If I believe that Jesus was the son of God and died for our sins, this moment would never be my last. I would have an eternity after this moment on earth ended.

I thought to myself, if this man beside me is the man I am to be with, then I don’t want to leave this earth and not be able to be with him after death. So through tears of overpowering joy, as he slept in the seat next to me, I quietly prayed…”Jesus I love this man so much, please forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart and make me yours so that I may be with him in this life and in eternal life. I do not ever want to be without him or you in this life on earth.” Jesus brought me to Jason and Jason brought me to Jesus.

Before that car ride I had known love, trust and caring, but I never understood where it came from. Now I know that feeling had been Jesus inside me guiding me, waiting for me to open the door to him. He used Jason and his family to do that. Together we are raising our children to know the Lord and his love. I pray every day that I am doing right with our children, for strength, knowledge and guidance. With The Lord in my heart I know it is all possible. Without Him life would be empty.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins and wash away the evil. I know that you, Jesus Christ, are the Son of God and died for my sins. You rose from the dead so that I may have eternal life. I turn away from a sinful life and ask you Jesus to come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. I want to serve and obey you, learn your work and follow Christ for all the days of my life. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

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Jennie McDonald

Monday, February 27, 2012

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salm 107:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

“The Way We Were Church” For your reference, this story occurred at the Ubon Royal Thai Air Base which is in Northern Thailand near the Chinese border. The air base was home for the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, which hosted 3 squadrons of F4 phantom fighter bombers and one squadron of C130 spectre gunships. We were at war and the year was 1969.

One evening while at dinner in the club, I first met Major Roy Carter. He was sitting alone at the bar enjoying a cold drink. I had a seat, introduced myself, and entered into a conversation. I soon learned that Major Carter was also from North Carolina, grew up in Burlington and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Our conversation was generally about Vietnam, and Major Carter's role in the air war. He was extremely angry that he had been transferred from fighters to the C130 gunship. After all, generals typically came from fighters, not gunships.

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We turned our conversation to religion and his personal beliefs in the war zone. This segment of our conversation was initiated by the major. He was extremely angry and felt distant from Christ for his new role as a C130 pilot. He had broken his ties with his Baptist upbringing and refused to ever set foot inside a church again! My comments that Christ should not be blamed for his present situation made no difference at all. At the conclusion of our conversation, I asked the major if he would join me in a prayer, a prayer to acknowledge those airmen who had given the ultimate sacrifice. He reluctantly agreed, and then hurried out of the building at the conclusion of the prayer.

Several days later, I was assigned Officer of the Day (OD) duty. In this role, I was generally responsible for the air base at night. This was my job for the next week. One occurrence that I did not look forward to was possible aircraft accidents. Unfortunately, these occurrences were not rare in that war.

On the first night of OD duty, I was making my rounds of the air base when a call came over the radio. The voice in the command post was loud and clear. "We have an inbound C130 with battle damage. Proceed to the flight line with haste to assist the recovery team."

I acknowledged the message and turned my jeep and rushed to the flight line to help in any way possible.

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Over the horizon in the light of the moon, I could clearly see a dark figure that would be the plane approaching over the rice patties. The C130 was now on final approach, and I could clearly hear that one engine was inoperative. The aircraft was in trouble! To make matters worse, fire was now coming from engine number 4. This giant airplane must now land on 2 engines!

The mission of this C130 was: fly over the Ho Chi Min trail and destroy trucks and other vehicles moving south by electronically locking in on heat from vehicle engines or spark plug operation. The on-board cannons would then be used to "kill" the vehicles. The C130 gunship, with its 14 crew members also used the sophisticated gatling machine gun, which was capable of hitting every square inch in a football field without touching the boundary lines!

While over the trail, there was always the possibility of being hit by surface-to-air missiles fired from the ground.

The plane hit the runway with unusual force, bounced and then bounced again. With 2 engines out, the pilot would likely need the full 12,000 foot runway to land.

Brakes squalled and the 2 operating props reversed pitch to assist in slowing down the plane. Finally, the C130 came to a halt just 10 feet from the end of the runway. Had the pilot not succeeded in stopping the plane, it would have plunged into the deep gully below.

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I jumped into my jeep and rushed to the plane along with fire engines and ambulances. As I pulled up to the rear ramp, I witnessed a scene that caused me to cry out in horror. The airman who had been the missile observer out the rear ramp had been dragged along the runway! I slowly regained my composure. Those on the plane would need my help.

I noted a large jagged hole in the fuselage where the 20mm cannon operator had stood, his body swept out in the night sky some where over the trail.

I assisted in moving the wounded to waiting ambulances. The copilot's wounds were immense. He would be flown to the hospital at Wiesbaden, Germany in an attempt to save his life.

As I moved through the fuselage, I saw Major Carter assisting the wounded. Much to my surprise, the pilot was Major Carter! He was busy assisting the injured.

His injuries were minor and it appeared he could fly again soon.

There on the runway, I fell on my knees and prayed for the prompt recovery of those wounded on this mission, and for the family of each person who would never go home. And I cried out for God's intervention in this madness.

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The following Sunday, while at church services, I observed that Major Carter was kneeling at the front.

When he turned away, I followed him to his seat.

The Major was crying hysterically.

"I was wrong", he confessed to me. “I thank you for helping me see the light. I recognize that God was with me on that mission. Most of my crew survived.

And my co-pilot, Captain Bryant, will recover from his wounds and go home.�

Prayer: Almighty God, five me the wisdom to understand your will in this time of turmoil in our nation and grief in our world. Give me the direction you would have me follow in being part of the solution and not a contributor to the difficulties that surround and challenge us. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Jim Smith

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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atthew 6:15-17

“If you forgive others the wrong they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.”

“Granting Forgiveness Is Not an Option” Several years ago a friend Danielle told me that she would soon file for divorce from her husband Joe. She said Joe had been involved in an affair long ago and that she was still suffering humiliation and pain.

On the eve of their 50th anniversary, Danielle told me that her pain had become so intolerable that she didn’t think she would ever be able to forgive her husband.

Danielle and I discussed the issue of forgiveness over several months to no avail. I tried to help her see the importance of forgiving Joe, who acknowledged his infidelity and sought repeatedly her forgiveness. I encouraged her to see how her bitterness was affecting her physically and how this bitterness was blocking God’s grace from healing her brokenness. Not even reminding her of Christ’s teaching in the gospel of Matthew “to forgive others” softened Danielle’s heart. Her response to me was always, “I’m not ready yet to forgive Joe, and I may never be.”.

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During Lent, we have the opportunity to see with clearer vision that bitterness and an unforgiving heart have no place in our lives, for they only separate us from the healing grace of our Lord. Lent is also the time for us to understand that granting forgiveness is not an option for those of us who follow Christ; it’s a requirement. So, during Lent, let’s confess that there may be some people in our lives for whom we find it impossible to forgive and ask Jesus to guide us and give us the strength to grant mercy, even though the other person may not have sought it or deserved it.

For as we admit our need for his help, Jesus will give us his love and power which will heal our broken relationships and restore our relationship with Him. And this will bring us Easter joy!

Prayer: Dear God, we thank you for Jesus, who came to renew our relationship with you and to give us new life. We are grateful that his life, death, and resurrection make possible the forgiveness of our sins. Forgive us for those times when we have failed to offer Christ like forgiveness to those who have hurt us. Through your Spirit, fill us with your love and restore our broken relationships with you and others.

In His name. Amen.

Jack Snyder

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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salm 30:5

“His anger lasts only a moment, His goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

“God’s Forgiveness” When I reflect on time passed and missed opportunities to be a better witness for our Lord, I feel that God should be really upset with me. This passage, Psalm 30:5, has always been comforting to me. I think of how precious the covenant of grace truly is when I struggle with these things.

The hardest part of becoming a Christian for me was to understand God’s forgiveness. I believed that my life had been a little too rough for God not to be mad at me. I am thankful that the Apostle Paul included his struggles when he wrote the Roman epistle: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

So during this time of preparation and repentance, I am assured that God loves me and wants the most abundant life for me. He wants me to know the peace and joy that only He can give when weeping comes.

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I am convinced He is not mad at me regardless of how far I strayed. He wants me to be a humble repentant servant. Because of the love he shows to me, I must strive to pass it on to others. I can choose happiness for each day by knowing that even if I do not feel it, joy is not far away.

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me for the things I should have done that I let pass and forgive me when I do things that are not pleasing to you. Protect me from the sin that is ever lurking. Help me to do better and share more. Thank you for the true Joy that comes only from You. Amen.

Andy Revill

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Thursday, March 1, 2012

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atthew: 18:1-5

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

“Come as a Child” Few activities can be more exasperating than watching your young children participate in sports. Even for the majority of us who are not banking on a future collegiate scholarship, spectating at an athletic venue for six year olds can be maddening. Who hasn’t seen the left fielder searching for cloud animals, the soccer goalie provoking an ant colony, or the basketball guard who turns himself into a penguin by sticking his arms into his shorts?

Our family weathered this rite of passage by the pool as supporters of the “Swim Team”. What started as a means to keep our kids from drowning ended in hours of pointless cheering for kids made half deaf by several inches of water.

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.

These meets had all the randomness of a hermit crab race. Case in point, my son was leading in one race by half a length with about 10 meters to go. Just as the waves of maternal pride began to well, he stopped to let the boy in the next lane win.

I didn’t really understand what happened that afternoon until I reread this passage in Matthew. In it, the disciples came to Jesus and asked who in the kingdom of heaven was the greatest? Perhaps, some of them felt slighted by the lack of an invitation to the transfiguration (chapter 17). Whatever their motivation, Jesus responded by calling for a child and telling them they must become humble like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. This demonstration was shocking given that the people of the time generally had a low opinion of children. However, it was perfectly pertinent. As my son demonstrated, kids don’t care about hierarchy.

Being first is simply not on the radar screen.

I am reminded of the humility of children each time I teach the children of Aldersgate. In one exercise, I passed out a handful of M & M’s and asked them to place a candy by the activity that received most of their time, the activity they enjoyed the most, the activity they thought of the most, etc. School, video games, sports and pets all received a rather healthy share of the M & M pile. After a few moments, a rather meek voice said “But, God doesn’t have any M & M’s!” The class became quiet as they pondered this situation.

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What followed was a rather lively brainstorming session on means of getting God into their lives.

Their answers were simple, direct, and child-like.

They were willing to reapportion the M & M’s so that God became first. Their faith and honesty is a challenge to us all.

Prayer: Dear Father, help us to humble ourselves before you. Let us be like children, filled with awe and wonder, as we become aware of you. And remind us that all of the M & M’s are yours. Amen.

Mary Lynn Van Deventer

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Friday, March 2, 2012

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Corinthians 5:17-18

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

“Is Faith Inherited?�

I am thankful for having been raised by Christian parents in a Christian home. As a family we attended church and church school regularly. My Mother taught an adult church school class; my father was frequently a member of the Administrative Board. I joined the church at the typical age and was active in the youth fellowship. There was never a time that I did not believe in the existence of God. However, I did experience a growing awareness that my faith relationship was not the same as that exhibited by my parents.

Once I went away to college, the 2-mile walk to attend a Methodist Church in downtown Chapel Hill seemed to become longer, and accordingly, I less frequently made that trek. When I graduated from UNC and began attending graduate school in Illinois, I had some interesting discussions with brothers in the chemistry fraternity house where I lived about matters of faith.

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One brother in particular was very keen to lead me in a prayer to confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Although I appreciated his well-intentioned efforts and concern, I knew that I could not honestly do what he asked. I began to attend The Wesley UMC in Urbana, IL on a regular basis. On a Sunday morning in the winter, the associate pastor read the scripture above, and I experienced something different than anything previously experienced in my life. I have to think it was something not unlike John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience. Like John Wesley I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt God’s spirit working in me to accomplish in an instant what my brain had been wrestling with for years without accomplishing.

At that moment I experienced God’s real presence in a new and powerful way that is beyond anything that I can explain adequately in words. I have had peaks and valleys in my life since that day over 40 years ago, but I have never doubted the transformation of that day or the continuing presence of God in my life every day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your unconditional love and continuous reaching out to establish a life-giving relation with all of your creation. Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of sharing Your great love and helping to draw others to a daily walk with You. Amen.

Roy Swaringen

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Saturday, March 3, 2012 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”

“Casting Cares” My favorite childhood song is by Kelly Willard. The song goes like this: I cast all my cares upon You, I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet. And any time I don't know just what to do, I will cast all my cares upon You. As I think about the words of this song, I realize how guilty I can be of “casting” my cares and anxieties upon God, only to pick them right back up and put them in my pocket to lug around another day. What am I saying to God if I give them to Him and then take them right back?

If I am going to truly cast my cares upon the Lord, I have to do just that! I have to hand them over to Him and not try to reel them back in, no matter how difficult it is and how much I want to hold on. When I give my burdens to God, I can find peace in knowing that the God of the universe, who loves me beyond measure, has great things in store for me, His child. What amazing comfort this is, just like the song has always been for me.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to lay all my burdens at your feet, trusting you to be in control. Amen.

Lara Rowland 28

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Monday, March 5, 2012 saiah 6:8

“I heard the Lord saying Whom shall I send, Who will go for me? And I answered Here am I; Send me.”

“Here Am I; Send Me” As some of you know, I’m typically the volunteer in the group. I’ll offer to cook, bake, deliver, babysit, carpool, dog/cat sit, drag chairs around; basically do anything I can to help others around me in need. I can tell you that has not always been the case. Not because I didn’t want to or because I was lazy, but because I didn’t feel I was worthy to do these things for others. I was brought up as a Catholic and there is one simple prayer before Communion every week, that says, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed”. I kept waiting to “hear from God that I was worthy, healed to do things for Him”. I can’t tell you how long it has taken to understand that I am worthy and I do have gifts to give and to understand what great joy it brings me to do these things.

I realized this at Aldersgate during one of Johnny Branch’s sermons about giving, after which we sang Hymn #593. You all know it, “Here I Am, Lord”. (ironically it has Catholic origins). The Hymn spoke to me in volumes and I literally cried. I realized that all of us are worthy-worthy of His unconditional love, worthy of receiving Him in so many ways; and that by our giving, teaching, working, helping, we honor not only Him but ourselves and the people around us.

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Giving is the gift we give ourselves.

Through this Lenten season, just think of our Savior, Jesus Christ and the ultimate gift He gave to us.

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night.

I will go Lord, if You lead me.

I will hold Your people in my heart.

Isn’t that just beautiful?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for each and every day and the opportunity to give to others. Our gifts may be simple or elaborate but each one is precious and it is because of You that we have our talents, our gifts, and our ability to serve and witness. Amen.

Stacey McCorison

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

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Corinthians 15:52,55-57

“…in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Taking the Sting Out of Sorrow” The call came about 8:39 on January 11, 2011…my childhood best friend had been killed in an automobile accident about twenty minutes prior to this call. She was taking her little girl to the doctor before going to work. She had hit a patch of ice, skidded off the road and ran into a tree. As my mother told me what had happened, I could feel my chest tightening as I tried to breathe. No breath came. I tried again, and this time, along with a breath, came the words, “Oh my gosh.

No, No!” Immediately after crying for a while and telling my husband what had happened, I began questioning, “Why did this happen? How could this happen?

Why would God allow a young mother of three to be taken from her husband, children and parents?”

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My friend’s death was the topic of many discussions with family and friends over the next few months. She was one of only two deaths in the state that day so it was even on the news. The same questions continued to arise, “Why would God let this happen?” and “Was this God’s plan or a freak accident?” I admit, I struggled with both of these for months until one Sunday at church.

Pastor Doug was giving his sermon, “Removing the Sting”. It was the story of Lazarus and the sadness that Jesus felt upon losing his dear friend. As Doug referred to the Bible, it states, “Jesus wept at the graveside of his friend”. As Doug said, it is the only place in the Bible where it says Jesus did so. After expressing his sorrow, Jesus resurrected Lazarus. Boy, did I wish that Jesus could have done that for my friend, loving wife, daughter and mother of three. But, I knew that could not happen. As I listened to the rest of Doug’s message, I realized that it didn’t matter if it was God’s plan or a freak accident-there is a time for all of us to die and to be resurrected in heaven. If we have the faith and truly believe that we will one day share our days with God and our loved ones who have gone on before us, then the sting can be removed from sorrow. Death is painful for those who are left here on Earth to wander aimlessly through our daily routines, deeply missing those who have passed. From parents, to children, to spouses, to family and friends, death does sting and continues to sting for some forever. My father lost his father and brother at a very young age, and he continues to say that the “sting” has lessened but the loss will never go away.

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As Doug finished his sermon, the tears rolled down my face. I knew that it was not my place to question my friend’s death or God. If I truly believed that God had “sent Jesus into this world not to condemn me, or anyone else, but to save us”, then I had no reason to feel “the sting” of her death, only the assurance that she was already in heaven, living her resurrected life with God. During this Lenten season, let us know how truly special the death and resurrection story is, but let us also know that this story happens every day with loved ones everywhere!

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for life and death. We thank You for the resurrection and knowledge that life does not end with death but begins anew with You in heaven. Help us to believe this not only because we hear it in the pulpit and read it in our scripture, but because we have faith that You are holding our loved ones, who have passed on before us, in Your loving arms and that they, like You, are awaiting our arrival, our birth. Amen.

Mary Kathryn Panza

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

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olossians 3:12-14

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

“Forgiveness” Have you ever been wronged by someone? Has anyone ever offended you or your loved one? Has anyone ever hurt your feelings? How did you handle the situation?

Are you still harboring a grudge? In a situation like that who is being punished and who is suffering?

In this letter to the Colossians, Paul’s message is simple - we are to forgive those who may have wronged us, not so that God will forgive us, but because God has already forgiven us. How awesome is that – he has already forgiven us? He knows us in our good times and he knows us in our bad times and he still loves us.

Isn’t forgiveness the least we can do for others?

Forgiving others allows us to move on with our lives and live a life of love, not hatred and blame.

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In 2009, the mother of a teenager who was killed by a drunk driver in Michigan, gave a family Bible to the accused driver and told him that her son would want him to have the opportunity to go to heaven one day.

She did this after he was found guilty in court.

I’ve always been in awe of people who have the ability to forgive in a situation such as this. Could you pray for and forgive someone who has taken so much from you?

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to forgive those who have wronged us. Help us to realize how liberating forgiveness is. Allow us to love one another and not be judgmental in our dealings with others. You have given us a perfect example to follow in your son, Jesus Christ. Open our eyes to our many blessings and show us how we may pass these blessings on to others. In your name we pray, Amen.

Jan Howe

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Thursday, March 8, 2012

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Peter 5:10

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

“God’s Grace Can Restore Your Soul” I was hurting like I’ve never hurt before. On Saturday August 27, 2011 (the day Hurricane Irene was pounding the NC coast) Anne & I learned that our first grandchild, Noah Russell Dredla, had been born in Central Asia but there were serious complications.

We needed to get to our daughter, Hilary, our son-inlaw, Russ, and our newborn grandson quickly but the hurricane had forced all flights out of RDU and Charlotte to be canceled. To say we were distraught would be a huge understatement - we were crushed!

That’s when angels seemed to take us under their wings. First, my big sister and her husband insisted on driving from Danville to pick us up and carry us to Atlanta to catch a Sunday flight to Istanbul. There, Russ & Hilary’s teammates met and escorted us, via ferry, across the Marmara Sea and we arrived at Hilary’s bedside at 8:30 pm Turkish time on Monday August 29th.

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The next 3 weeks are still a blur. We were housed, fed, transported, and cared for by six loving and compassionate Christian families. We held vigil at the neonatal ICU for 23 prayer-filled days during which Anne’s mother, Doris, had a stroke. Doris died on September 18th and Noah died the next day.

I was angry at God! How could He let this happen when people all over the world were praying for a miracle? But through prayer, the support of family, friends, and our wonderful Aldersgate UMC and Summit families, I’ve come to accept that sometimes things happen that are just beyond our comprehension.

This wasn’t necessarily part of God’s will; nonetheless, He allowed this to happen for reasons we might never understand. As Russ so aptly said “I think Jesus is weeping with us right now!” God’s grace is restoring my soul.

Prayer: Dear God, please share your grace through Jesus Christ with those grieving the loss of loved ones. Amen.

Garry Bowman

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Friday, March 9, 2012 “I Can Only Imagine”

(lyrics by Bart Millard)

I can only imagine what it will be like When I walk by Your side.

I can only imagine what my eyes will see When Your face is before me.

I can only imagine, I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine, I can only imagine.

I can only imagine when that day comes When I find myself standing in the Son. I can only imagine when all I will do Is forever, forever worship You. I can only imagine, I can only imagine.

The diagnosis of my sister-in-law, Pat Sager’s cancer in June of 2009, was devastating. However, this experience invited the opportunity to share time with her on a daily basis. It was truly a privilege to accompany her to doctor, chemotherapy, and radiation appointments.

Every moment shared with Pat was an incredible blessing.

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One of the memories I treasure most from our experience together, was the opportunity to support Pat as she planned for her Memorial service. I supported her as she sought the ideal funeral home and picked out songs for her service. It was so amazing to share time with Pat. Every time her favorite song played on the radio in the car, we would sing at the top of our lungs, “I can only imagine”. Pat chose this song to be part of her Memorial service as she was confident in the joy and amazement she would experience upon meeting our Lord, but while remaining here, among family, friends, and a sick a body, she could “only imagine”.

Pat was not afraid to die as she had incredible faith and acknowledged that her work on this earth was ending.

Obviously, we all wanted as much time with her as possible. More importantly, Pat wanted to spend as much time as possible with her family, especially her granddaughter, Ella Grace Beyea. Fortunately, Pat was able to spend a lot of quality time with Ella Grace and it was such a blessing to see Pat with her granddaughter.

It was truly a precious gift from God! I know that when Pat passed away on March 1, 2010, she no longer had to imagine, and she was finally able to do it ALL! She danced for Jesus, expressed her awe, fell to her knees, sang hallelujah and she is forever worshiping Him!

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When John Howe sang this song at her Memorial Service, I don’t think there was a person in that room who knew Pat, that did not know that she did it ALL! Her love of the Lord was so truly evident in the way she lived her life. Everything she said and everything she did clearly reflected her commitment to her faith and love for mankind. Pat was such a loving and selfless person.

I pray daily, for many people and circumstances, but I always ask, Prayer: Dear Lord, please let Pat know that I am keeping her memory alive for her family, especially her grandchild, Ella Grace. I will strive to continually share Christ’s love and example with Ella and let her know that her Mimi is an angel in Heaven watching over her and will always be with her.

In love and in Jesus name I pray” Amen.

What do you imagine?

Joyce Mackin

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

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ob 1:21

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away"

“Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone” On March 8, 1998, I had to retire due to severe back problems. I was facing back surgery for the second time. Ron, my husband, was working, but my Mom lived across the street and would help me through this.

However, on May 29th, Mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This couldn’t be; she had not been sick. She was not only my Mom, but was my best friend and I couldn’t lose her, not now. Treatment was recommended, but without hesitation, she made the decision to decline any treatment. She wanted to leave this life with dignity. Mom was now my top priority, not my back problems; surgery could wait. We spent our days talking, laughing, singing and crying. Mom was very strong in her faith and while she was able never missed the chance to go to church. My sister and I, and our husbands, were always there with her.

The thought of her going anywhere without me was not an option.

My brother and sister worked, so I took care of Mom. I got her to all her appointments, cooked and cleaned for her. I would get her settled in for the evening and she would send me home to spend time with Ron.

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When she got to weak too stay alone at night, I would stay around the clock and Ron would visit us when he got home from work and we all had dinner together.

My sister and brother would take turns staying with her on the weekends. She got to where she could hardly eat and it was hard for her to move around the house alone. It was difficult getting her to her doctor appointments. We decided it was time to talk to her about having Hospice come talk with us. She didn’t like the idea at first, but finally said she would talk with them. They came and explained how they could be of service in so many different ways. She then agreed to become their patient. Mom started failing fast and the day came when I could no longer take care of her by myself. I called my sister and said, “I need help”. She took leave from her job and we then took care of Mom together. The day come when she couldn’t get out of bed so we took turns staying by her bedside except when she had company. It was extremely difficult watching her fade away.

On December 19th, we knew her time was near so we notified her close friends and family. She had visitors all day and at almost midnight Mom took her last breath. Had she been familiar with contemporary hymns, I’m sure she would have been singing, “Amazing grace, my chains are gone; I’ve been set free”.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please watch over my family and keep them safe and healthy. Amen.

Joyce Pendergrass 42

Monday, March 12, 2012

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eremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD.”

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salm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

“God’s Plan is Even Better Than Mine!”

I had my life plan decided at age 18. I was going to be a career army officer. Everything I did in college led to accomplishing that goal. I had never given much thought to a husband and kids but when I started dating a long term boyfriend at my first duty station, I thought well ok maybe that would work too. I was right where I wanted to be. I love to plan and I had it all planned out! I just hadn’t left any room for God’s plan.

All the sudden a series of things in the army led me to begin to believe that was maybe not what I wanted for the rest of my life, and I found out the guy was not who I thought. I felt like things were spinning out of control because my plan was unraveling. Something drew me to begin attending church my last year in the army and I dabbled in that a bit. I felt a peace there felt “still”. However, I still needed to get myself settled so I made a new plan.

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I applied for and got accepted into law school so I barreled down that life plan path. Suddenly I was feeling unsettled about that also and my financial aid was not lining up right. During that time I met back up with a college friend who I had not even considered as more than a friend. Once again my plan was falling apart!

I began to feel gently pushed towards getting my education degree and realized I really had just as much passion for it as I did the army. And back to the friend I had re-connected with-actually I really liked him (and married him). I literally woke up one day a stay at home mom of three boys and realized, “I feel complete peace and absolutely love where I’m at in my life for the first time.” I think this is because finally I’m open to God’s plan.

Do I think this is exactly where I will stay the rest of my life? No, probably not. However, I think and hope I’m ready to put trust in those two verses. Every time things went crazy in my life and I started panicking because my plan wasn’t working, that calming voice I now know was the Holy Spirit came. It’s the same voice I hear now when I panic about things, “Be still and know that I am God.” I would never have predicted where I would end up in life. I definitely would not have planned that for myself.

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I really think God wants us to be happy and only He knows the plan He has for us. He is also saying “Only I know how great it can be and how you’ll get there.”

Prayer: Dear God, help me remember and take comfort when it seems like things are crashing down around me that you are in control and already have it all worked out. Amen.

Michelle Schalliol

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

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salm 5:2

“Listen to my cry for Help, my King and my God for to you I Pray.”

“Let God Take Over” September 27, 2007, a day I had been looking forward to for a year. My Naval reunion was going to be in Washington, DC. I was up early that morning and I knew I had a problem, but didn’t tell my wife. I knew it was bad when it took all my energy to place our bags in the van. We hadn’t gone far before I had to get Joyce to drive because I was getting too weak. When we arrived at the Holiday Inn, I told her that I hated to get out of the car. I knew I would be in trouble because it was quite warm that afternoon. She went inside to get a cart for our luggage and told me to stay in the car until she returned. I remember stepping out of the van into the hot sun and had to sit back down in the front passenger seat. At that time I passed out and did not come to until I was in an ambulance headed to Reston Hospital. We arrived at the ER and the doctors and staff began their work.

Later that afternoon several of my shipmates came to the ER. They said, “Ron, we don’t think you will be able to drive that car home.” That is when I found out I had thrown up a lot of blood inside the car when I fainted. That evening Joyce called our son, Rick, to let him know what had happened.

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He and Angela, our daughter-in-law, left Durham about 9:00 pm and headed to Washington DC. The staff at the hotel was kind enough to let them stay in our room since Joyce stayed at the hospital with me.

The following morning an upper Endoscopy was performed. The surgeon said the bleeding had come from a bleeding ulcer. He also found spots on my esophagus caused from having acid reflux over the years. He said, “You got to the ER with a blood pressure of 50 over 40. You were near death, but the bleeding ulcer saved your life.” The spots he found on my esophagus were pre cancer. He told us they were not cancer; however, they would turn to cancer if I did not follow up with my physician when I got home. When we returned to the hotel, we were surprised to see the condition of the van. The hotel staff had cleaned the inside and there was no sign of blood.

We returned home on Monday and I immediately made an appointment with a physician for follow-up treatment. After 3 months of upper endoscopies and with no improvement, my physician referred me to Duke Oncology department with a recommendation for surgery. Surgery was done in February ‘08, removing my esophagus and reforming the stomach to make a replacement. Eleven days and 33 lbs. lighter, I left Duke Hospital.

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As I write this in November 2011, this coming New Years holiday will be 50 years since I wore the uniform of the US Navy. During those years aboard ship we referred to our God as our Supreme Commander and we still do at our annual reunions.

When a shipmate passes, it is said, “he has gone to be with the Supreme Commander�. I know my Supreme Commander was with me that day.

Prayer: My God, continue to guide me to live my life as if today may be my last day. Amen

Ron Pendergrass

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012 ames 1:3

"Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.”

“God Will Take Care Of You” As a child I always felt God’s love and felt taken care of, both by my family as well as by God. It was not until junior high that I felt my faith tested. I was not popular at school and definitely very quiet and shy. I lacked confidence in myself, and to my peers I looked shy and awkward. Unfortunately for me that meant I was teased a lot. I had chubby cheeks and big eyes which now I have grown into, but back then at 12 years old- not so much. I was called “frog eyed”, “chipmunk cheeks” and “hound dog”. I did not have the nerve to stand up for myself. So many times I cried in the bathroom stall or in my room at home. I wondered why I was the one everyone seemed to pick on. I thought God did not “have my back”. My friends seemed to have it so easy, so why not me?

In high school, the teasing faded because I began to grow into my body and the big eyes and chubby cheeks became attractive. I made friends easy because I was friendly, positive, and loyal. But boyfriends were not so easy to come by.

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I lacked the confidence to deal with the opposite sex. I could barely make eye-contact with a boy and usually ended up tongue-tied. So I was always the friend who was a girl, not the girlfriend, which meant I got my heart broken more than a few times. I began to question God and his plan.

Once again I did not understand why things were never easy for me and these questions continued through my college years. I had always planned on being either a writer or a high school English teacher but then I saw my younger sisters in action and realized I would have to teach students like them when I got out of college.

I was lost! Where did God want me to go and what was his plan?

I finally figured out God’s plan one night when I was at church doing a craft activity with a group of children and they responded to me with excitement and happiness. I loved watching their faces light up. I realized this was my calling. I needed to work with small children as much as they needed me. So I changed my major, completed my college career and graduated from Meredith College. My life seemed to finally come together (or so I thought) and I felt at peace and happy with God’s plan for me. I had a teaching job and a new husband. Finally I was happy and could teach my students without a care in the world. Wrong! My first year of marriage was full of betrayal and hurt. Once again I question God. I thought I had done everything right. I was a good person. These things were not supposed to happen to me.

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Why was God testing me like this? What did I do to deserve this? I spoke to our pastor, Johnny, and tried to make sense of everything. Things did improve for a while, although we still had our ups and downs. I still had my doubts and weak moments where I would question the motives of my husband and God. I was unable to understand why I had to go through all the obstacles I had gone through in my life and once again felt like I was being picked on again as I was in junior high. I yearned for the understanding and peace I felt God should have given me.

I finally got it and so much more. I saw God’s love first hand on May 3, 2001 at 9:33 pm when I laid a 7lb 12 oz. baby girl named Mackenzie on my chest. She was so beautiful and so tiny. I felt God’s love wrapped around both of us like a heating blanket. I knew that night and again on March 8, 2007 at 4:45 am when I gave birth to my son, Riley, what God’s plan was for me. I learned what all my struggles were for and why I had to go through them. God made me a strong woman. God made me a strong mother. God made me a strong teacher.

Since the birth of my children, my marriage eventually fell apart and we divorced. But instead of questioning God’s plan I went with it because I knew He knew best.

I was not truly happy and God knew it. But all my struggles have made me a stronger person, someone my children know they can count on. I still see God’s love everyday.

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I see Him in my children, Mackenzie and Riley. I see Him in my students when one of them finally has an “aha� moment and masters a skill. I see Him in me when I look in the mirror and smile with my head up and stand tall and STRONG! Prayer: Dear God, even in our dark days and time of sorrow, please help us to call on You, for You will ALWAYS take care of us. Amen.

Jessica Hale

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

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salm 91:11

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

“It’s All a Wonder” Reflecting on my colorful life, God surely had a sense of adventure and protection for the journey He took me on. After 10 years of rebellion in my 20’s, He led me back to my college sweetheart to marry, and He blessed us with a wonderful son named Justin. Then my sweetheart was called to heaven when our son was only 9 months old!

As a single parent for most of my life, I marvel how God has guarded and provided for my son and me.

It is truly a wonder to me that we survived the many challenges life presented us with. God watched over us continually, including times like: playing “ hide and seek” in the dryer, bacterial pneumonia at 3, biking in rock-filled ditches, sledding in front of cars, making mission trips to Mexico in the 5th grade, white-water rafting accidents, scuba diving from 11 to 18, a donkey trip down the Grand Canyon, and nine trees falling on and around our home during a hurricane. How often have I reminded Justin that it is a miracle he survived his childhood!

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I marvel how God has planned such an exciting and zestful life for me.

Justin is now 30 and I am thriving at 60. I wonder what adventures God has planned for us in times to come!

Psalm 91:11 (my 9/11verse) has been my favorite verse, as God has surely sent His angels to guard and protect Justin and myself. May this verse be as meaningful for you as it has been for me.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over our comings and goings, both now and forever. Amen.

Cheryl Joy Turner

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Friday, March 16, 2012

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cts 2:41-47

“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles.

All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.”

“We Are...”

I am the faithful church member, here for every service.

I am the member who appears sporadically and slips in and out without much notice.

I am the helper, the one who cares for the needs of others.

I am the needy.

I am the youth member who is greeted with joy.

I am the youth not missed.

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I am a tither, giving 10% or more to support the church.

I am the member who can only sometimes gives one dollar.

I am the church member who speaks eloquently of God’s love.

I am the church member that makes others cringe at their abrupt ways.

I am the child who sits quietly by their parent, amused by crayons, paper and a lollipop.

I am the crying baby, the restless toddler, the chatty six year old.

I am the fixer, the person that wants to help the broken.

I am the broken.

We are the church, filling the needs of our people with service, prayers, and hope.

We are the community, the unchurched, the doubters waiting for help and hope.

Prayer: Most Loving Father, during this Lenten season, help us, your church, to see with eyes of compassion, patience, love and hope. Let us truly follow your command to love others. Amen.

Ruth Kay

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Saturday, March 17, 2012

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ohn: 14:6

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’’

“Love Christ, Live Forever” The truths Christ taught and the life He lived are desperately needed by the world. Christian love was the greatest force in the world. It is still the only power that can heal the wound of the world.

When Alexander the Great heard one of his charges use profanity, he said "Young man, either change your name or change your actions. I will not have my name associated with such vile language.”

Could Christ say the same to you ? The Lenten season is a time for self-examination, self-discipline, and most of all self-commitment. Too many feel we’re Christians because we do good deeds and go to Sunday School and church. Jesus paid for our sins. The important thing is not the outward things we do, but the inward things we ARE. We are all sinners and we must all ask for forgiveness. Christ is the way to God - to peace and joy - It is not enough to know about Jesus, but to know Him as your personal Savior.

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Read “our” creed on page 7 in the UMC hymnal. “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried…” If you do not believe ALL of these, you are not a Christian, for they are the foundations of our faith.

Christ paid the ultimate price to give us a gift of eternal life. You can give Him the gift of a loving and believing heart. Ephesians 2:8 reads: “For by grace you have been saved through faith” and this is not our own doing, it is the gift of God. Grace always describes a gift-one impossible for us to procure for ourselves and which we can not earn or deserve.

Prayer: Lord, help us to make this Lenten season a time for silent meditation. We do not want to ignore Christ.

We do not want to be so busy that we neglect to pray, study our Bible and follow Christ’s example. Amen.

Anne Collins

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Monday, March 19, 2012 saiah 58:10

“Feed the hungry and help those in need or trouble.

Then your light will shine out from the darkness and the darkness around you will be bright as day.”

“Surely the Lord is in This Place Called Aldersgate” In 2010 I had to have hip replacement surgery. I have always been very independent but there comes a time when one must ask for help. I am so proud of all of my friends at Aldersgate.

Jesus tells us to help others in need. The volunteers came and built a ramp at my back door and stacked wood so I could reach it for my wood stove throughout the winter. When I was unable to drive myself, many people were on a list to assist me - drive me to doctors appointments and physical therapy. Volunteers brought me food, called and sent cards.

It does get a bit lonely when one’s shut in even for a short while.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for sending your son Jesus to give us salvation. Keep us in your care - may we continue to love one another as your have loved us.

Praise the Lord. Amen.

Mary Ellen Rogers 59

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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hilippians 4: 7

“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

“God’s Peace” Wow! What an assurance ! Peace can be elusive.

We tend to spend a great deal of our time searching for a path to peace. We search for it through jobs, people, organizations, hobbies and accumulation of “things”. For myself, the journey toward peace has taken many detours as I struggled to find freedom from worry and anxiety.

Learning to focus on the one true source of peace has simplified my life. Whenever I feel myself trying to solve problems by constantly reviewing things in my head, I have learned to step back and think about the above passage. It really works! Nowhere else have I found the peace and answers to difficult situations than by listening for God’s understanding . This is not a backup plan but the main plan as I look for direction in all sorts of situations.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, show us peace through your word. Help us to find focus and peace in our lives by looking to you as the true source of peace. Amen.

Beth Menchini 60

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

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omans 5:5

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

“Hope and Love” I was invited to go with my son and grandchild to visit “Agape Corner” house at 1402 Holloway Street in Durham. I lived there for one year in 1952 after I was married to my husband, Kenneth Gregory. When I returned recently to the house it was different and had changed greatly. However different it is today, I sensed and felt the warmth and caring, for the leaders who take in orphans and make a home the children who have been abandoned by their parents. I was sad; however I felt the love and caring for the young boys by the lady Louise Roudebush. She has given them Love and an education when they had no home or parents. I sensed the love of God and Jesus Christ reaching out to save them from living on the streets through Louise and her staff.

Prayer: Father God, continue to bless and guide the staff of “Agape School and Home” and to love and help orphaned children. God is so good and great! Amen.

Peggy W. Gregory 61

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

eremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“God Has a Plan” Ten and a half years ago, my family’s world changed as we knew it. I was almost 30 weeks pregnant with our first child Sarah; and, because of many unknown reasons, Sarah decided that she wanted to join this world way too early and was way too small. On October 25, 2001, Sarah was born 10 weeks early and weighed a small 1 pound 12 ounces. She spent eight weeks in the Duke Intensive Care Nursery and fought for her life daily.

I searched for years to figure out “why” it happened to me, to my family and mostly to Sarah. Though my doctors cannot tell me “why,” I am comforted by the things that I have learned as a result of our experience.

I have learned: ALL children are miracles from God, whether they are perceived as ”perfect” or not.

Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest and most rewarding job that I could ever have.

I am strong enough to handle anything, especially when I have God in my life.

God trusts me with his most important job… to be the mom of Sarah, Andrew and Collin…each of whom have their own special personalities and challenges.

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The importance of being a strong advocate for my children. I learned that a mom knowing and loving her children is just as powerful than anything the doctors or nurses learned in the books.

How to slow down, enjoy the small steps that lead to big steps.

“Snuggle” time makes everything better.

To believe in miracles.

I am often asking” why”; though these days I am living my life more intentionally and believe that God has a plan. And though I may not understand it in the moment, I will be stronger and more confident as a mother, wife, daughter, friend, teacher and Christian, no matter what the ”why.”

Prayer: Dear God, let me be open to hearing your plan, be brave to accept your plan and be faithful in the execution of it. Please use me to do amazing things.

To your glory, Amen!

Jennifer McLamb

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Friday, March 23, 2012

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omans 1:5

“It is through Him that we have received God's unmerited favor and our apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all the nations.”

“Coincidences? You Tell Me” Less than 24 hours before the Drive Through Prayer event, I had a serious discussion across a dinner table with a Christian sister about whether there were really “coincidences” in the life of the Christian. Was everything that happened destined to happen by the hand of God - through either His direct intervention or else His non-intervention (allowing thing to happen without changing them). I wondered whether, for example, people who called in on the radio to say “I know God planned for me to hear that song at that moment in time because I really needed it” were really crediting God with something that was just going to happen because of a series of events which had been set in motion long before their need. Or had God really planned for that song to come on at that time when they needed it?

I do believe that God does plays a very active role in our lives and I KNOW HE CAN intervene in even the smallest ways. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to believe it happened as much as we wanted to think that it did.

Then came the Drive Through Prayer event…

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We had assigned the people in the group numbers so that every member of the team would be able to pray with folks and also to lend some order to the process.

So when the third person drove up in his blue compact, it was my turn.

I approached the car, leaned down to the window and introduced myself. Inside was a young man, well dressed, in his early 30’s I would guess. I went to shake his hand and he kept hold of my hand. So as he held my hand, I asked him what I could pray with him about, today.

His look was intense, even though he had sunglasses on, hiding his eyes-the mirror of the soul. He took a deep breath and then said “I really need to go to an AA meeting tonight. I just really need to go but I don’t know if I will.” “Well what can we do to see that you get to that meeting?” I responded.

He went on to tell me that he struggled with addiction.

He had phoned AA and found out where a closed meeting was taking place that night. He wanted a closed meeting and he didn’t really want to participate, just listen.

After a few minutes of letting him talk, I told him about our meetings at AUMC but he reiterated he wanted a closed meeting. Then he said the most powerful thing I had heard in a long time about the influence of God in those day to day things in our lives.

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“I really want to go to the meeting but I was just not sure I would. And then I was driving down this road and saw this. So I thought I would just drive in. I am not sure why, but I did.” After a little bit more of talking, we prayed. Again I encouraged him to go to that meeting and gave him one of the cards with the phone number on it for him to call anytime if he needed more support.

Before I could raise up from the window that I was still leaning down on, he grabbed my neck, hugged it, and kissed me on the cheek. As I moved back, I saw a tear fall down his cheek from under his sunglasses. He drove off. I walked over to the group and said to them “Wow, I didn’t know this was what it was going to be like.”

As I relayed his prayer request, the first thing one of the team members said was “That was the Spirit moving.” I prayed for this man that night, asked that God will give him the courage to go to the meeting.

I prayed for him the next day as well and have every day since. It was the tear that trickled down his cheek that really made me realize how God had used a small group of people on a sizzling hot summer afternoon to give the support to someone in need. I have heard people tell stories about things like this.

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I don’t know what happened to this man. He may have gone to the meeting. He may not have.

But what I do know is that we were faithful and obedient and that is really all that matters. The rest is in God’s hands.

I hope one day I will see him again in our eternal home.

And I do know that I can easily imagine this man twenty years from now describing how a local church that followed the calling of the Lord to be there for their neighbors as Christ in the flesh helped him through one of the most difficult decisions he would make. And how grateful he was that he pulled in there.

And I will always remember that tear.

Are there coincidences? I guess I got my answer.

Prayer: Lord Help me to please see people as you do with the eyes of the love of the Savior. Give me the courage to be obedient to the leading of your Holy Spirit each day.

Amen.

April Perry

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Saturday, March 24, 2012

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ark: 1:12-15

“And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the

wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News.”

“What is Lent?”

When I see this verse, I think about what Lent actually means. People all over this world, including me, think that Lent is a time to give up “stuff”, such as candy, some foods, video games, but that’s not what it means.

Jesus was taken out to the wilderness, tempted by Satan those days with the wild beasts, giving up everything He had to survive while the angels waited on him, but He still returned to proclaim the good news of God, and saying that the time is fulfilled.

This is what Lent means, and I think that some people get the wrong idea about it. I will definitely think about this during Lent and think what people gave up back when Jesus lived.

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Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember that Lent is above so much more than “giving up something".

Please guide us and help us to make life changes to be more Christ-like. Amen.

Daniel Cole

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Monday, March 26, 2012

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ames 1:19-20

“Dear brother, don’t ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry; for anger doesn’t make us good, as God demands that we must be.”

“Killing with Kindness” My mother once had a neighbor that for some reason was always angry with her and would always complain about something. She would even yell and curse at my mother. I was at her house one day when this was happening and asked her how she could keep her cool about the situation. She said you don’t know what’s going on in her life now or before that has caused her to be bitter with life. It doesn’t solve anything for me to get angry back at her.

Over the course of a few months I noticed a change in my mother’s neighbor. She would wave and say “Hi” to me when I drove up. I asked my mother what had happened. She said, “I killed her with kindness”. She started by giving treats to her neighbor’s dog, picking up her newspaper and mail and laying them at her door, taking food over saying she had made too much and getting items from the grocery store for her.

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During this time, my mother found out her neighbor had gone through a nasty divorce, was unemployed, and was literally left with nothing but her dog. She also suffered from a heart condition and didn’t always take her medicine correctly. She had nobody in her life that cared about her.

They became very good friends. When my mother became ill with her brain tumor and came to live with me, this neighbor would call me often. She had nothing but kind words to say about my mother and how much she missed her. She said she had never seen such a kind, loving, Christian neighbor as my mother. She knew it was God’s plan to have them be neighbors and become close friends.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to see thru angry words, and treat people with loving kindness. Let us listen more and speak less. Help us let God’s love shine through us. Amen.

April Twine

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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ohn 1:9

“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

“Heroes” An American soldier was credited with saving the lives of 100 British Troops in Italy during WWI. The American army was to bomb a small town in Italy when two unexpected things happened. The British troops forced the Germans out of the town “and” in the process their radio was destroyed. Now, the Americans would be on the way to bomb them and they had no radio to cancel the mission.

This is where the American soldier comes in. This little soldier was assigned to the British just in case such an emergency arose. The Brits gave this little American a note and sent him alone to give the message to his superiors to stop the bombing. Through heavy German gunfire he made it home and stopped the bombing in the nick of time. For his action this soldier was the first non -royal subject to be awarded the The Dicken Medal for gallantry. This little soldiers name was GI Joe and he was a homing pigeon.

Homing pigeons have the amazing ability to know where home is no matter where you release them.

Scientists have been trying for years to figure out why these amazing birds have this ability to find the 72

direction of home and fly there as fast as they can.

Home. What a beautiful word. When we are children home is where our parents are. When we grow up home is where our spouse and children are. But, somewhere in our journey we discover there is no permanent home in this life and we realize we are lost.

We fly in circles like a lost homing pigeon seeking the direction that will lead us to the place where we truly belong. Then, for us lost “but lucky” few, we see the glimmering light of Christ and head for home.

Where did this light come from? It comes from Jesus Christ who died for our sins. And, that light still shines through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, through Peter and Paul, through Martin Luther and John Wesley, through Henry Glass, Bob Wallace, and Doug Lain, Jody Slater, who teaches Divorce Care, and Paula Veasey, who teaches Middle School Sunday School, and Cathy Cozart, who leads our Altar Guild.

The light of Christ pours through each one of us, with every good thing we do in His name. We are vessels of light to a dark and troubled world. And this beacon we carry says home is this way; follow the light of Christ which flows through us. Yes, it is our time to allow the light of Christ to shine brightly for others to find their way home. Then, when we have delivered the message, when our last sin is forgiven and every doubt and fear is obliterated, Oh, how loudly the good things we have done in Christ’s name will echo in heaven for all eternity.

Prayer: Lord, help us to trust in You. Amen.

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Wednesday, March 28, 2011

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mos 4:13

“For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth, the LORD God of Hosts is His name. “

“Closer to the Lord” In many of our national parks there are natural wonders that are so grand that we are awestruck at the scale and magnificence of what we are seeing. My wife and I experienced this on a self guided trip to Alaska a couple of years ago.

Away from the tour groups and surrounded by mountains, we had several occasions when the presence of the Lord was palpable. Perhaps we were basking in a trace of God's light that was left behind when He created these wonders. Regardless of the explanation, that trip was an intense spiritual experience for both of us.

The belief that mountains are holy places is not a new idea. Numerous revelations that have taken place on mountains are chronicled in the Bible. In fact, there are about 300 references to mountains. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, John and Jesus all had revelations from God on mountain tops.

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Years ago, I realized that whenever I drove to the Smoky Mountains and started up the first climb going toward Asheville or Boone, there was a sense of peace that washed over me. My wife has expressed the same sensation and further described it as a feeling that she is going home. We now try to visit the Smoky Mountains at least once a year, and usually camp out while on our trips. The combination of being in the mountains and in community with nature is definitely refreshing to our spirits. We are convinced that we are closer to God. Prayer: Thank you Lord, for giving us holy places where we can go to nourish our spirits. May we use that energy to perform deeds that are pleasant in your sight. Amen.

Doug Morris

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

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hilippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“The Gift of Prayer” God has provided us with the powerful gift of prayer.

Prayer provides us with assurance that God is with us and God is not going to give us more than we can handle.

When Michael was born, he was in respiratory distress due to aspirating meconium. His APGAR scores were 2 and 5 and the first 24 hours of his life was a struggle.

David and I were anxious and felt helpless given the situation. Prayer is what helped us get through one of the hardest times of our lives. I thank God every day for giving me such a great family. When you feel like you have more than you can handle in life, pray and turn it over to God. He will be there to help you no matter the circumstance.

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for loving us and taking care of us in times where we feel helpless. Thank you for giving us the ability to pray and turn our worries over to you. Amen.

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Friday, March 30, 2012 salm 141:3

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord. Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

“Gossip” Gossip is almost always associated with teenagers but do we really ever grow out of it? In high school you brush it off as a “middle school thing” but then you continue talking about people, even your friends behind their backs. And gossip hurts. I know that I have hurt someone with my words whether intentionally or unintentionally. Things get so misconstrued and warped when transferred through word of mouth. It is often hard to recognize the harm in “girl talk” with your best friends.

My hope is that this verse will help everyone think about things they say before it comes out of their mouth. My mom showed me this verse when hurtful things had been said when I was in the seventh grade.

And although I cannot change the things that were said, I can be sure that I never hurt someone with harmful words or unfair accusations. God will help you choose your words carefully if you ask him.

Prayer: Lord, please be the gatekeeper of my lips.

Help me to recognize truth in the things I hear and keep me from spreading stories for my own benefit not yours. Allow me to use my words for encouragement and blessedness. Amen.

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Summer Stanley

Saturday, March 31, 2012

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ames: 1:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

“Be Careful What You Ask God For, You Might Get a Response!”

Over and over ( and rightly so ) we hear, turn our burdens over to God. Sometimes, they are truly more than we, as mere mortals, can handle. As with many things in human nature, that can be a tall order. Consider those simple habits and things that can have such a chokehold on us to the point that it almost seemingly defies common sense. (e.g. If it hurts when you do that; then don’t do it, but you do it anyway)… More on that in a bit.

First, a bit of history; A smoker from my early 20’s I was told by doctors that in short, due to issues (unrelated to smoking), I would not ever be able to have children. A difficult thing to swallow but considering options like adopting, fostering, surrogates, there were at least options. However, I still saw it as a hurdle to finding a husband. After all, who would want a woman who couldn’t bear him a child. Well, I was blessed to learn when I met the man that was at that time my best friend but later became my husband that not everyone feels that way.

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When the nature and strength of our friendship grew and blossomed over time, we suddenly realized we had inadvertently found what so many people, including ourselves, struggle and repeatedly fail to find; True, respectful, unconditional, unending love. So it goes with God’s blessing that we got married and continued on our life’s journey together with the expected fact that unless we adopted someday, our four legged kids would be all the children we would have.

Fast forward now a few years. I was still smoking and tried several times, unsuccessfully to quit. I was smoking with patches and gum and the usual tricks but grew ever frustrated by the repeated failures and knowing how harmful it was. Refer to the common sense opening.. If it hurts…well one day on a commute to work, in a particularly stressful and frustrated moment, gripping the steering wheel with both hands I look up and say to God, “Please give me something, some kind of help, to quit this awful habit.”

Two months later I found out I was pregnant. That moment, I put my nearly full pack of cigarettes on the ground and ceremoniously buried it and have been smoke free now for nearly 8 years.

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For our blessed family, we pray the following verse.

Prayer: (from James 1:17) Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to remember, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.� Amen.

Rochelle Nye

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Monday, April 2, 2012

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salm 32:6-11

“Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”

“Love Came Down” Lent is a great season of the Church to bring itself back to God. It is a season to spend time in prayer, repentance and eventually thanksgiving. The great thing about Lent is there is a celebration coming after the darkness. Yes, the death of Christ is coming. BUT, a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is right around the corner.

One of the major ways I connect to God is through music. This song written by Brian Johnson is a Contemporary Worship song that embodies our need for God. “Love came down and rescued me, Love came down and set me FREE.” Jesus came down and is still in our presence setting us free through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Go on your computer and go to www.youtube.com.

Type in Brian Johnson, “Love Came Down” and give it a listen. (Bethel Church has a more energetic version as well.) Take some time to meditate on this song and use it as your prayer. The lyrics are posted below as well.

Prayer: If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice. I’ll hold on to what is true though I cannot see.

If the storms of life come and the road ahead gets steep, I will lift these hands in faith. I will believe.

I remind myself of all that You’ve done.

And the life I have because Your Son. Love came down and rescued me, Love came down and set me free.

I am Yours I am forever Yours.

Mountain high or valley low, I sing out remind my soul, That I am Yours I am forever Yours.

Staying desperate for You God. Staying humbled at Your feet.

I will lift these hands and praise.

I will believe.

Rob Tucker

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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

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atthew 7:7-11

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

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salm 37:4

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

“God’s Love Story” Fourteen years ago during my 1st semester at college I began to discover many new freedoms. I was now out and away from my parents’ loving guidance. I was free to make my own decisions and either enjoy the rewards or suffer the consequences of those decisions.

Life was great, I had real freedom for the first time and, as a teenager, of course I had all the answers and knowledge I needed to handle that freedom. It did not take long to see that I was less capable than I believed.

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I started the second semester of my freshman year the same way that I finished the first. About 4 weeks into the semester I was really feeling and doing terribly. I felt as though the road I was on indeed led to destruction. I am sure that Christ was calling me and within the first five months of my college experience I turned to him. I knew from my childhood that Jesus would always be with me as I knew that I was His. One night while laying in my dorm room I earnestly prayed and asked God to please send the one person that he had made for me. I knew very well that I did not deserve such a gift and I hoped that my credit was good. I prayed that if he would do this for me now that I would spend my life and eternity cherishing and caring for his gift. My thoughts were that if I had the one God made for me that I would be focused and that I would see my path laid out before me as I would be accountable to God for keeping my end of the promise. Within a very short period of a few weeks I met the young lady that is now my wife. That next year was a complete turnaround. That one prayer has changed my life more than I will ever know. I trust in God’s plan everyday and I seek him in all things. I put my faith and trust in Christ that the one he made for me would be the desire of my heart and my wife of just over ten years is so much more than I could ever have imagined. Our great Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him.

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Prayer focus: Those that are lonely and seeking help.

Prayer: Precious Lord I come before you and seek your forgiveness of my sins. I ask that your will in my life will be done and that I may be used to help those that are struggling to find you. I thank you Father for being our almighty and knowing the desires of our hearts even more than we do. Thank you for your grace that accompanies your heavenly gifts to our requests. I love you, Jesus, with all my heart and all my soul. In your name Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen.

Jason McDonald

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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Samuel 16:7

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

“Last Minute” Every single year for the past several years I’ve participated in lent. I’ve always tried to do something challenging like giving up soda or chocolate. Sometimes I do it; I’ve gone the distance on several occasions. Other times I it doesn’t go so well, I end up forgetting completely about lent and getting the glass of coke without even thinking twice. That’s something I do a lot, forget.

I forget things all the time, like homework, responsibilities, writing my lent devotional that was due on Sunday, I write this to you (the reader) on a Wednesday. I don’t enjoy doing things last minute, it just happens. So, my goal for lent is to do things on time.

It’s going to be a lot harder than it sounds. Because isn’t that what’s Lent really all about?

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Personal reflection and bettering yourself, not giving up chocolate for 40 days than go right back to eating it. It’s about doing something long term and permanent. It may be hard, you may even forget, but I’m determined not to. Pray I don’t forget.

Prayer: Dear God, erase my mind of the doubts I have of myself, and rid my mouth of the bitter taste of my flaws, but instead fill my mind with your wisdom, and let me taste that wonderful delicacy of joy. Amen.

Marshall Wilfong

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

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Corinthians 11:1

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

“I Can Only Imagine” “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me is one of my favorite songs. I have it as the ring tone on my cell phone.

The words are so powerful. “I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side… I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me! I can only imagine.”

I read about heaven in the Bible, discuss heaven and listen to others talk about heaven, but most of all I wonder what it will be like. It is hard not to put an earthly spin on heaven because that is all I can see.

When I’m feeling especially close to God and thinking about his power and majesty, beautiful visions fill my mind, but I can only imagine.

When my mother died in 1999 after a month in the hospital, through my tears, I remember trying to find comfort in the thought that now she was at peace and no longer in pain. It was a total surprise to me when I realized I was also thinking “now she knows”. As I have grieved the deaths of my dad and other dear family/friends Wes Covington, Camille Yorkey, Bill Harris Lynn Anderson, Vivian Lyndon and just recently Billy Hinton, I have again thought “now they know”. I can only imagine.

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I want to live my life as a follower of Christ. I ask God to help me discern how I can best serve him and fulfill his plan for me on this earth. But there is such a feeling of peace and anticipation knowing there will come a time when I walk by His side and His face is before me and I will know. Until then I wonder.

“Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing “Hallelujah!?” Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.”

Prayer: Dear God, today I pray that I will live my life to its fullest as a follower of Christ; to teach others, serve others and be an example of your love for us, so that the day will come “when all I do is forever, forever worship you”. Amen.

Regina Carver

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Friday, April 6, 2012

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eremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“Trust in God’s Plan” As I sit to think of how to start this devotion, the first thing that comes to mind is what do I teach my girls?

They constantly have questions for me, some of which I can answer, some of which I choose not to, and some I just really don't know the answers to. The one thing that is routine at night for us and always has been is to say our prayers when we put them to bed. When they ask what they can think about to help them go to sleep, I tell them to talk to God and have him fill their minds with something, whether it be something happy or something that may be coming up.

We ask them occasionally what they want to be when they grow up and they both have their dreams. With our guidance of helping them stay in school, get good grades, stay active, and stay active in church, I feel pretty confident God will help guide them where they need to be in the future.

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As for us as parents, we can always learn from one another, from our kids, and from the world in general.

We choose to live through God's word and together we will all be guided and trust that God will plant us where we need to be. I don't feel like he has finished with us yet.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help us to remember that Your plan is the only plan we need. I pray that we, as parents, can help guide all of Your children by Your plan. Amen.

Sheilah Lowans

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Saturday, April 7, 2012

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alatians 5:22-25

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

“My First Mission Trip” I’ll never forget my first mission trip. It was the summer following my first year of seminary and first year of pastoral ministry. It was just a few short weeks after I had gotten married. Anyway, Person County has lots of small Methodist churches. Sixteen of them, to be exact. And aside from the big downtown church all the rest had youth groups of maybe 2-3 people each. So, I was asked to bring all these youth groups together for a mission trip. The destination was the Hinton Rural Life Center, where I would eventually become employed after graduation. But I didn’t know that at the time.

This would just be my first time going there.

We had a large group going. The total number of youth and parents was more than thirty. When we arrived at Hinton we were split into smaller groups for the work projects. My group was sent to the town of Unaka, North Carolina. It is as far away from here as you can be and still be in NC. 92

We were in that far cone of the state, about twenty miles west of Murphy, way up in the holler, in a beautiful, but very isolated part of the Appalachian Mountains.

We went to work on the home of a Mrs. Culler. Mrs. Culler was about 85 years old at the time. She got along pretty well. However, she did not have a car so she didn’t get out of the house much. Someone picked up for church on Sundays and someone picked her up to go to the store on Tuesdays. She lived at the end of a two-mile long dirt road in a little valley surrounded by towering mountains. Only one other person lived on the road with her. That was her son, who was her next door neighbor.

Her son had lost the use of his legs; but he would pull himself out of his wheelchair and get positioned on top of his 4-wheeler and ride up to his mom’s house every day for lunch in order to get a meal and enjoy the company of his mother. Aside from the people who picked them up on Sundays and Tuesdays, the only other living, breathing, human being they would see in the course of the day was the mailman.

We were asked to make a handicap ramp for Mrs. Culler, to fix her front steps, and paint her front porch.

It was a good project for most groups except I had no idea what I was doing. We worked hard; but we didn’t work efficiently, and at the end of the week it looked like it was about 50-50 as to whether or not we were going to finish. It meant that the last day was going to be a really long one.

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Well, things were going okay until after lunch. The youth were so close to finishing; but they were just whooped. And, so I had to stop what I was doing to go encourage them all. Only, one of them was missing. But where was she? Had she gone in the house to use the bathroom? I mean, there was absolutely nowhere to go.

It was downright impossible to lose someone where we were. A-ha! She had gone off somewhere to rest. I was steamed. We needed all hands on deck and yet this girl was clearly taking an extended break. I was getting disgusted as I toured the house inside and out looking for her. Finally, I found her on the back porch. She was with Mrs. Culler. As I politely asked her to return to her work I noticed what she was doing. She was doing Mrs. Culler’s nails. And they were talking. I didn’t know what about, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t have time. We had a ramp to finish.

Well, we were late for dinner that night; but we finished up. On the way back to the Retreat Center I made sure to get the attention of the girl who had spent the afternoon with Mrs. Culler. I wanted her to know that we really needed her to participate as part of the team. And yet, this little 16 year old girl started telling me about all that she learned from Mrs. Culler. How Mrs. Culler grew up during the depression, and how she met her husband, and where the rest of her children are living, and how important her church was to her.

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It occurred to me that I hadn’t learned any of those things about the woman we were there to help. In fact, I didn’t get to know her at all. God hit me upside the head with a ton of spiritual bricks, and taught me that what the teenage girl did for a lonely woman was much more important than what I did on the construction project.

Ever since that trip I’ve tried to pay attention to every task in front of me to say, “Is there something else that God wants to do here?” Because sometimes it is right in front of us, and we miss it.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to step back from the busyness of our day to see what is truly important in Your eyes. May we make every moment count for you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Doug Lain

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Aldersgate United Methodist Church 1320 Umstead Road Durham, N. C. 27712 (919) 477-0509 www.aldersgate.org 96