12/25/21 Over this season we have talked a lot about the gifts of the Christ, that of expectancy of hope, of peace, of joy, of love. Those are the gifts that we are given, and today I want to just focus on and think about for the rest of the time are the gifts we come to bring. For like the wise men they came to worship to adore, to bring gifts of value to this baby that they suspected was the potential for salvation was the king that they were looking for. So, what is it tha

12/19/2021 1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, on which we consider the aspect of love. We have looked at Hope, the expectancy of the rebirthing of the Christ Spirit within us. We have talked about the Peace that we receive as we release our concerns and simply know with certainty that Christ dwells within us. We have considered the Joy

12/12/2021 Psalms 4:6-8 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Today is the third Sunday of Advent, when we celebrate and ponder the miraculous nature of joy. A bit off the topic, but I’ve gotten away from drinking dairy milk and use oat milk now for ce

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! This is the second week of Advent when we consider Peace. We may have asked ourselves, “What is peace; where is peace?” We encounter many kinds of peace in our lives: peace of mind, peace of body; we pray for world peace, and seek peace within our own relationships and our very souls. We must look at peace from more than one perspective to truly understand it. We can look at

11/28/2021 This is the first Sunday of Advent. The other Sundays include Peace, Joy, and Love. Advent culminates with Christmas Day. During this season we take the time to ponder and consider four of the most powerful qualities brought to us through the potential of the baby Jesus and continue to be realized daily by acknowledging our Christ within. I used to be a bit confused by the celebration of hope. I was taught in school that hope meant to wish for something; to expect

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. There are many practical and life-changing verses in the Bible, and this is one of my favorites. It is a formula for living a happy and abundant life. We are asked to be thankful, joyful, and in tune with Spirit through prayer, moving our awareness inside. Again, in Colossians 4:2 we are instructed: “ Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart .” If we foll

11/14/2021 (Apocrypha) Ben Sira 9:10 -- Do not abandon old friends, for new ones cannot equal them. A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure . I think that God has given us many people. God gives us family so that through them love can flow to us. We are given a spouse so that we can learn to express and receive the love of God. One of the ways that God expresses love to us deeply is through the friendship that we make in our lives. We’v

10/31/2021 Psalm 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. I love going to new places, seeing new things. I love going to familiar places – like to Monterey. Although we’ve been there many times, each visit is refreshing, renewing, and always a source of novelty. I love my time away from the work and the responsibilities. But I love to return home once again. I appreciate the peace I feel as I walk through an ancient redwood forest. I am in awe of th