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It was easy when I was a child!  We were simply expected to “give something up” for Lent – we were even held accountable in school (I went to Catholic school, remember…).  Sister would make a poster notating who was giving up WHAT and each day you could advance your name on the chart depending on whether you had been successful.  Of course, most every one of us gave us either “candy” or “chocolate” with a few other assorted sacrifices such as “not talking back to my mother.”  It was so simple in those days!

But now that I’m a “grown-up,” and now that I’ve made a personal decision to follow in Christ’s footsteps as best I can, giving up candy or sweets or coffee or whatever doesn’t have the appeal it once did.  For one thing, I can’t imagine Jesus making the personal sacrifice of giving up candy for 40 days, can you?  No … these days, adhering to a Lenten discipline needs to be something much deeper – something that has the potential to be life-changing.

So what will it be this year?  You know … this year, I don’t think I’ll give up anything at all.  I think I’ll take something on.  I don’t know about YOU, but I sometimes have trouble setting aside time for devotional reading.  So THIS year, I think I’ll begin reading the Bible at Genesis 1 – devotionally – and my goal will be to close the Bible on the last day of Lent after reading the final words of Revelation 22 – “’Surely I am coming soon.’  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.  Amen.”

Won’t you join me?

Pastor Janice

            But then I decided just the other day that I would finally bite the bullet and copy my favorite Praise & Worship songs from iTunes directly onto my iPhone.  You see, I like to listen to praise songs at the gym, and I figured it would be a great idea to simply use one device – no more carrying of an additional iPod!  What a great idea!

            So I plugged the iPhone into my computer and opened up iTunes.  Immediately, a message popped up telling me that I needed to upgrade.  So I clicked “okay.”  Turned out it wasn’t just a simple upgrade of iTunes.  It was the never-ending update of my iPhone – it started by wiping out all the software, so I had to no choice but it let it finish.  I sat there for what seemed like an eternity, staring at that little “progress” line slowly, slowly making its way to the right – “verifying settings…” “extracting software…”  “downloading files…”  “restoring firmware….”  40 minutes!!!!  Just when I thought it was finally finished, another series of messages appeared – “restoring iPhone from backup…”  “restoring iPhone apps…”.  10 more minutes!!  I was ready to scream!

            Sometimes I fail the test when it comes to patience, especially when it involves what I perceive as the “wasting of time.”  I sat there for close to 50 minutes just staring at the computer screen – and silently fuming because I had WORK TO DO.

            I wonder why it didn’t occur to me to RELAX and open my Bible or a devotional book, or simply go to God in prayer instead of wasting so much time staring at a computer screen and fuming?  Maybe God sent me that little diversion, hoping that I’d give HIM some of my time.  I hope I think of that the next time something stops me in my tracks and I’m faced with some unexpected time on my hands.  What about you?

           Pastor Janice

Sundays 10:30AM Church Parlor
Leaders: Eileen Phillips and Carol Campbell

Mondays 7:30PM
Host home: Linda Konicky, 1522 Sweetbriar Drive, Jamison, PA (215-589-9393)
Leader: Alison Beal

Tuesdays 10AM Church Parlor
Leaders: Howard and Beppie Heinrichs

Wednesday Nights 7:30PM
Host home: Church Conference Room
Leader: Ruth Ann Portzline

Thursday Nights 7:00PM
Host home: Church Parlor
Leader: Pastor Janice

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What parent wouldn’t want their child to be kind to other children, respect their parents, and honor God?

I know that life is FULL! But there should always be time for faith as a family. Five minutes a day around the breakfast or dinner table, or even before bed might make a difference in your family life. Try it out. Then come back to this page and blog about your experiences. I’m betting (if Methodist’s were betting people, that is) that there will be some positive experiences that come from this.

            Every now and then, when the “details” (and there are many!) of ministry start feeling overwhelming, I try to think back to some of my “other” lives – mother, school nurse, nurse practitioner, hospice case manager, seminary student, student pastor.  I try to reminisce about having, at one time, lived a simpler, easier, less complicated life.  Or I try to dream ahead to a time when life will be that way.  But the truth is that I NEVER lived that kind of life and I doubt I ever will.  It’s the nature of life to be full of complications and uncertainties and problems and details, details, details.  Sigh….

            What I DO know, from experience, is that “this too shall pass.”  Sometime in the next few days, I’m going to wake up and realize that my head is above water after all, and I’m going to give thanks to God for helping me successfully navigate this latest deluge.        

            The secret, don’t you agree, is to see each day and each moment as a gift from God – and to do our best to glorify Him even in the midst of a million little annoying, time-consuming, energy-zapping details.  Because God has SENT those little details our way – they form the backbone of the ministry he’s called every one of us to – ministry to our families, our co-workers, our friends, our community, and our world.  Thank you for thinking of me, Lord!

                                                                                    Pastor Janice

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