My friend Archie is taking over for me for freerangefriday this week …enjoy his pilgrim wisdom! Lilly
Camino De Santiago- St. James Pilgrimage
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in” – Matthew 25:35 NASB
Behind the Camino metaphors and parallels, I heard the faint whisper of my inner voice of love.
During my Camino with hours and hours of walking, listening and welcoming (perhaps showing hospitality?) to whatever comes to mind, was one of the gifts of my pilgrimage. Prayers for families and friends came in abundance. What a thought to see these prayers as guests and to welcome them. At one point during my camino, I told my Facebook friends that I might have prayed for them- remember I had an abundance of space and time for prayers- and some of my friends asked for prayers- what an honor!-And yes, I got to pray for families, friends and nations-especially Ukraine- during my Camino de Santiago early this summer.
Listening turned into plumbing my past life experiences. Have you ever pulled the drain stopper in your bathroom sink to try and unclog it? You will find not just hairs, but also black grime and slime stuck on the drain stopper. Well, some of my listening was like unclogging a drain stopper but most were pleasant memories that evoked prayers of gratitudes and praise songs- yes, I was singing along the camino and one time I joined a group of young people doing the “macarena song and dance.”
Yes, plumbing my unconscious is welcoming and inviting guests from my past.
archie on pilgrimage
One of the literature for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage says that the camino starts when our feet take the first step outside our home. I had decided to have two kinds of pilgrimages, first was what I called a friend-pilgrimage and the other was the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. My two- week pilgrimage took me to four countries, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Spain. I visited my European friends from my ministry years in Europe. My Friend Pilgrimage was to honor their friendships, prayers and support during my early years of being a missionary in Western Europe.
The second week of my pilgrimage was the Camino de Santiago. This pilgrimage is one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimages that started around the 7th century, neglected and forgotten over the preceding centuries, and during the late 20th century, it gained popularity once again and this time, not just for the Catholic pilgrims but for anyone wanting or willing to walk for miles and miles, day after day, weeks after weeks to go on a pilgrimage; either to fulfill a religious devotion for the devotee, or to find something new about themselves, or as one of the peregrinos (pilgrim) that I met told me her camino is a “reset” for her life, and for some, it could be to reach deep within their soul. These pilgrims on the Camino are seekers, simple hikers, adventure backpackers and tourists that trail the over 700 miles (or more depending which of the several Camino Way one chooses).
My Camino was the last segment of the Frances Way, from Sarria to Santiago Compostela (St. James Cathedral) where the apostle’s body was apparently buried-hence the pilgrimage-. This last segment of the Frances Way is 111 kms/68 miles, at least seven days hike. This is the minimum Camino one can do to earn a pilgrim certificate.
My first day of Camino, the terrain with a steep 500 feet elevation climb in the first 45 minutes looked relatively easy on paper. I underestimated the peaks, telling myself that I have conquered numerous 1,000 plus feet- elevation gain on one of California’s Sierra Nevada 10-11,000 feet summits. Well, at the end of my first five hour walk, I hyperextended my groin was sore from the steep hikes. I survived the first day but I questioned my recovery time, can I walk the following 6-8 hour day hike? I also have to mention that two weeks prior to my Camino, preparing for my walk, training on a stair-step machine at my local gym, I hurt my foot that triggered a gout flare. I told my wife Tamara that if I have another gout attack during my Camino, I would either rent a bike ( yes, you can do a bike Camino) or cut short my camino pilgrimage and go back to my friend Patric in Switzerland to heal if my feet can’t walk anymore Well, I limped my way to Santiago Compostela. Welcoming the physical pain and pushing my body too is like allowing invited guests to stay longer even if the food, drinks, games and stories had been exhausted.
During my Camino I paid attention to my gait, the weight of my backpack and overall listened to my body. The walk gives plenty of stunning vistas, the different kinds of roads, village attractions, like old stone chapels, Camino arts, dairy farms, small vineyards, stone houses, and an occasional chat with local town folks. These attentive moments were welcomed guests that formed a prayer. Whatever memory comes to my attention, I turned it to prayer. In between thoughts and prayers for family, friends, the world, I would pray different heart prayers like the Jesus Prayer- Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. I also prayed Psalms 91: – “O Lord come to my assistance, O Lord make haste to help me”. One of my other favorite prayers I pray throughout the day even before the Camino is : “ In You O Lord, I move and live and have my being, I me O Lord, You move and live and have Your being.”
Behind the Camino metaphors, parallels, and prayers for others, I heard a faint whisper; my inner voice of love, loving on me, God loving on me.
To talk about my Camino using metaphors and parallels connects my soul to its power until its power fades, the silent whisper is heard. Perhaps the metaphors and parallels gave way to a dead end, a dead end where metaphors come short. The inner voice of love came whispering to my ear when all my metaphors, the pain on my feet, my back from carrying my backpack and from walking for many hours had broken me through.
The first common metaphor was the backpack I was carrying. The weight on my back was light the first day or rather the first few hours and if you have carried a backpack for an extended period of time before you know what I am talking about. I have over a decade of wilderness backpacking, and know the technical know-how, but my years of backpacking experience didn’t spare my physical pain. I told my friends through Facebook about this metaphor and that I carry them through prayers in my backpack, not knowing the weight of their burden, I simply told them I just carry them in my backpack and giving them to Jesus unloads the burden of bearing the weight. I don’t know what it would be like if I had done the Camino prior to the internet age, so, everyday when I made it to my ‘albergue”- hostels- I would post my experience on social media. Of course, there would be instant replies and comments from my friends and my metaphor connected my experience to those of my friends.
Then it hit me, my metaphors and parallels appeared to have a life of their own. It is like a guest wanting more, demanding that I have a better narrative of my life different from what life I have; a metaphor that compares my Camino with my friends and others with their own “Camino pilgrimage”. So, this is where I came to a dead end and I heard the inner voice of love. Gone were the metaphors.
This Camino was about hearing the inner voice of God’s love, the unconditional love that can not and should not be compared to any other Caminos. I was in one of my hard and painful walks when I heard these words and it reminded me of Henri Nouwen’s “spiritual imperatives” where he wrote- as a secret journal- of his anguish and pain but also where he found freedom. This secret journal of his turned into a book called: “ The Inner Voice of Love”.
A friend made a comment on my first FB Camino post that sums this up when she said: “Have a good Camino Archie! It’s a wonderful experience and everyone has their own Camino.” It was a wonderful Camino, a glimpse of what my pilgrimage on God’s beautiful creation here on earth has been. A pilgrimage that gave me hints of the glimpses of what beauty awaits us when we see Jesus face to face and while we are already one and united with Jesus in the here and now, the inner voice of love was a whisper I will always need to hear.
Welcoming strangers and guest as Christ is the heart of hospitality, in my camino, I was the stranger.
archie makes it to santiago
Archie Honrado is a spiritual director, prayer retreat guide serving urban youth workers and a
certified substance abuse counselor. Archie was part of Youth Specialties Soul Shaper Board
and Soul Care Team together with Lilly Lewin. Archie and Lilly for over a decade have
collaborated and co-curated prayer sacred spaces for the National Youth Workers Convention.
Archie lives in the Redwoods, the land of Yurok Indigenous people in Northern California with
his beautiful wife and two young boys.
When my husband was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, we received a packet of information from the cancer center. The large envelope included various forms, contact numbers, booklets on what to expect, nutritional information, and other resources for patients and their families. Among the papers, I also came across an offer of free parking for cancer patients at a nearby church.
At the time, the hospital and cancer center had waived all parking fees in their shared lot as part of their response to the coronavirus pandemic. So when I saw the offer from the church, I thought, “How nice, but not necessary,” and tucked the paper back into the envelope.
But when my husband started treatment and in the weeks that followed, some days I couldn’t find a parking spot at the cancer center. Even the over-flow lot was often full, with cars parked at the end of rows where they weren’t supposed to be. One day I found myself circling around and around looking for an empty space without success, and finally decided just to stop behind the last row of parked cars. I could always move at a moment’s notice if need be, but at least I could stop my endless searching.
Some said the parking problem stemmed from the waiving of the parking fees, because people would park at the hospital and cancer center for free, then walk across the street to the long-term care home and other residences where parking fees still applied. Whatever the reason, suddenly the “nice but not necessary” offer of free parking from the church seemed like a great gift.
So I fished out the church’s offer from our original information packet, added our licence plate number and contact information, signed the waiver releasing the church from responsibility in the event of any damage, and dropped the form through the church mail slot.
Instead of circling around and around the hospital and cancer center looking in vain for a parking spot, I could now wait at the church until my husband was ready to be picked up. It was a small thing compared to the enormity of my husband’s cancer diagnosis and the rigors of his treatment, but not having to struggle with the shortage of parking helped to relieve some of the stress for both of us.
My husband and I talked about how good it was for the church to offer the use of their parking lot. We talked about writing a thank you note and sending a donation to let the church know how much we appreciated their openness to the community.
I’m sorry that we weren’t able to do that together, for my husband died unexpectedly from cancer-related complications. Suddenly I was in mourning. Suddenly I was no longer driving him to the cancer center. Suddenly I was no longer parking at the church.
Now months later, I still grieve my husband’s sudden passing. Yet by God’s grace and the support of family, friends, church, and community, I am gradually finding my way forward. I’ve started speaking and writing again. I’m working on a book of sermons. I’ve taken on a new editing contract. And in my husband’s memory, I finally wrote that thank you card for the hospitality of the church parking lot.
I thanked the congregation for their generosity in offering free parking for cancer patients. I included a donation as a token of our thanks. I sealed and stamped the envelope with a prayer of gratitude for their generosity.
I hesitated to share this as part of the wild hospitality of God, for there’s nothing particularly wild about that church parking lot. All the spots are marked with painted lines, and all the cars park neatly in between them. But my husband and I certainly experienced the free parking as a form of hospitality—a gracious openness and welcome to us as strangers and part of the wider community.
In the midst of cancer, in the chaos of the pandemic, in the small, everyday struggle of finding a place to park, the church offered to share what they had, and it turned out to be just what we needed. Perhaps that too is the wild hospitality of God, a hospitality found even in small and unassuming ways.
Photo by Michał Grosicki on StockSnap
Next Facebook Live!
Join Christine Sine, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley for a discussion on Hospitality and the Land. Wednesday, September 21st at 9 am PT. Happening live in the Godspace Light Community Group on Facebook – but if you can’t catch the live discussion, you can catch up later on YouTube!
Some years ago as part of my Masters in Theology I had the great privilege of spending some months studying different theories concerning the cross. Not so much the end result – they all agreed that on the cross Jesus made our friendship with God possible – but how that worked, exactly.
This is not a theological piece, so I will not precis my dissertation, don’t worry. Perhaps best not, since one marker described it as ‘disturbing’. I took that as a compliment. At one level, theology should always unsettle us.
The reason I undertook the study was simply this: I have always found difficult the concept of the cross as the wrath of God the Father punishing his innocent Son for our sin. Some of you reading this may too, others of you may see it as a fundamental gospel tenet. I’m not here to argue.
There are other (actually earlier) understandings of the cross, such as Christus Victor – Christ overcoming the power of evil. But the reason for me sending these brief thoughts in this current Godspace season is simply this: to me, the metaphor which makes the most sense, as much as anything can of this extraordinary act of extravagant grace, is to see it as the fullest expression this side of the ultimate heavenly welcome – of the hospitality of God. To me, on the cross Jesus was literally stretching out his arms in welcome to the world. To me. To you.
How does that work? I have no idea. God does, and I am happy to simply trust that. But that way of thinking of the cross draws me in to, yes, that wild, untamed and outrageous love of God, which relentlessly seeks me out at the very moment I fear the most that I have stepped too far.
Picture courtesy Pixabay
Share your hospitality with Godspace!
From NOW until September 30th, we are collecting recipes across our Godspace community for our first-ever cookbook. A portion of royalties will benefit anti-hunger programs! Send your recipe written in your own words, where it came from, and why it’s special to you to godspacelight@gmail.com – if you send 3 or more recipes in, you will receive a FREE digital copy of the finished cookbook! For more information check out this post:
As my husband and I make our backyard garden a hospitable place for creatures, pollinators, and people … I watch the bees on flowers (like in these photos I took). The bees inspire me by the goodness of their work: They seem to remind the plants to produce, and the blooms and blossoms respond by flourishing. Honeybees pollinate and gather nectar within about a two-mile radius, reminding me of the interconnectedness of nature and of us all. They risk the journey of flying out to forage, then back to the hive laden with pollen and nectar, despite the perils of nature’s predators and humans’ poisons. Thus they store up honey that will feed the hive in winter as well as the people who respectfully extract and enjoy the delicious, surplus honey.
As I watched a “bee doing good” this week, I was reminded to “be doing good” myself.* And this poem came to me:
Be(e) Doing Good
As you buzz about (many things)
are you singing, bringing out
the fruitfulness of life?
As you wing from place to place
do you cherish each colorful face
in the garden of life?
As you pollinate far and wide
are you ever calling forth
the Creativity of Life?
As you gladly sip secreted nectar
will you with honey feed
both the world and the hive?
– Poem © Catherine Lawton
*”Jesus … went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38)
Explore the wonderful ways that God and God’s story are revealed through the rhythms of planting, growing, and harvesting. Spiritual insights, practical advice for organic backyard gardeners, and time for reflection will enrich and deepen faith–sign up for 180 days of access to work at your own pace and get ready for your gardening season.
God has spread out for our delight a banquet that was twenty billion years in the making. A banquet of rivers and lakes, of rain and of sunshine, of rich earth and of amazing flowers, of handsome trees and of dancing fishes, of contemplative animals and of whistling winds, of dry and wet seasons, of cold and hot climates. But it is a banquet that works, this banquet called creation, the human planet. It works for our benefit if we behave toward it as reverent guests. (Matthew Fox Original blessing 112)
I have not been able to get these words out of my head this week. Every time I looked at a cloud formation, gasped in awe at the beauty of Mt Rainier or wandered my garden exclaiming at the beauty of the flowers, I thanked God for this incredible banquet twenty billion years in the making. Then I looked up at the stars, reminded of the incredible NASA photos of the place where stars are birthed. This banquet we call creation is incredible, if only we will look around and admire the mystery of it with all our senses – looking, listening, tasting, smelling, touching – eating and drinking of the wonder around me.
Fox goes on to explain another stunning aspect of the hospitality of God – in the Eucharist God then becomes the banquet for us. When we share communion together we share the life of Jesus. The bread and the wine given from the earth, made by human hands to be shared with love and generosity are part of the banquet of God’s hospitality, and the sharing of them is an incredible opportunity to thank God for the amazing banquet of our lives. It is also more than that, however. It is a sharing of Christ’s life, and a commitment to live as followers of Jesus. As we share communion together, we are reminded of and celebrate together the life that Jesus shared among his community throughout the centuries and shares with us today. We are reminded and give thanks for Jesus the banquet feast of God who nourishes and sustains us in all that we do.
Last but certainly not least, according to Fox, God does not stop here.
God not only plays the host for us and becomes the banquet for us; God also has become guest for us. This is one of the deep meanings of the incarnation, that God let go of hosting long enough to become guest as well. It is as if the human race could understand the hosting side of hospitality, but the guesting side, was becoming more and more difficult to grasp. Love is not just setting the table and going out food; love is also the receiving end of the banquet. And for this the human race begged an incarnation, a fleshy enactment of the guesting side of God, of holiness and of hospitality. Jesus is an excellent guest, a true revelation of God’s guesting side. (Matthew Fox Original blessing 113)
Jesus is the guest who waits to be invited into our hearts and into our lives, inspiring and transforming us so that we long to become like him sharing our lives and our resources with those at the margins, those who need healing and those who need to see the love and generosity of our incredible God.
What is the appropriate response from deep within the human person to this banquet of blessings spread before us so lavishly? Fox asks, “True holiness, full hospitality, lead to gratitude.” Thankfulness and gratefulness bubble up inside us when we consider the wonder and mystery of a God who is both host and guest in this world. It is a thankfulness that seems to fill the whole universe and reverberate through every part of each ancient yet fresh day creation in which we find ourselves.
Take time today to get out and feast on the incredible banquet God still spreads for us. Feast your eyes on the wonder of cloud formations, listen to the wind whistling in the trees and the melody of birds around you. Stop and inhale the fragrance of the air after rain, run your fingers over the lavender and inhale its wonderful aroma and taste the fruit and herbs around you.
After your walk, sit in a quiet place and contemplate the wonder of a creation banquet feast that was twenty billion years in the making. Is there a response God is asking of you?
You might like to share this prayer:
Thank you God
for the wonder of creation,
a gift of delight
Twenty billion years in the making.
Thank you God for the gift of Christ,
The guest who waits for our invitation.
May we welcome him into our lives
And be transformed
Into caring, sharing, loving followers
Seeking to change the world,
Bringing refreshment and renewal.
If you have time watch last week’s Facebook live session where Lilly and I talked about hospitality and the gift of life.
Digging Deeper: The Art of Contemplative Gardening
“My healing garden inspired by Digging Deeper has been a comfort to me in this time of transition.” – M
Christine Sine’s latest book is packed full of contemplative wisdom and inspiration for creating your own meditative focus. Click for more details!
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756.
“La Ténèbre” Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé
“Shepherd Song” Words adapted from John 10:11-18, Music by Kester Limner , Creative Commons copyright–free to use with attribution (CC-BY)
“Nothing Can Ever” Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé, Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756.
“Parable Song” Music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers, text by Kester Limner, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY)
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
photos and writings by June Friesen
SEPTEMBER 12 – NATIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT DAY
The above sign was on a wall in a large shopping mall in Virginia a few weeks ago when we were there visiting. I was immediately focused on it and stopped to just let it resonate with my spirit and then took a photo. When I got to thinking about National Encouragement Day I immediately thought of this sign – what if we had a sign like this on our door and saw it whenever we left our home? Or maybe have it on the dashboard of our vehicle and see it as we are out and about in the world? Kindness is always in fashion – what a great way to be an encourager in our world today. We know that there is indeed much unkindness, even hatred present in our country and even in the world … one way to begin to change or curb that would be through encouragement.
How and why did we get a day set aside known as National Encouragement Day? I have to admit that the phrase captured my attention and I wondered, “Is it really such a struggle in our country for people that we have to be told by the government to encourage each other?” The second question that came to my mind was this: As a country that is referred to as a Christian nation why do we struggle so with encouragement for/of each other as it is actually a concept that is taught in the Scriptures?
In 2007 some teenagers were given an assignment as to their needs and what may be done to help: What is the biggest problem for teens today (2007)? The teens said that lack of encouragement was one of their biggest issues. Second, why was September 12 chosen? This day was selected as September 11 is a day of darkness for our country because of what happened on September 11, 2001. Since that day it has been a time to honor and memorialize the many who lost their lives that tragic day. What better anecdote than to have the day after be one where we are reminded to reach out and encourage one another.
National Encouragement day actually started in the state of Arkansas in 2007. In August 2007 the mayor of Searcy Arkansas signed it into a local law/observance. In September 2007 the governor of Arkansas signed it into law as a State holiday and a short time after that President George W. Bush signed it into law as a national observance.
Some questions that enter my mind are: 1) If this is a Christian nation, the Scriptures tell us to encourage one another so why do we need to be told/or have a particular day to remember it? 2) Since this has been set as a National observance how come so few of us are really aware of it? One may respond: It should just be a given that we encourage each other. While that is indeed true the question that comes to my mind is: Then how come we hear so many negative words? How come so much complaining about what one does or doesn’t do? And how can we turn those things into positive encouragements?
Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.
Paul wanted the people to not lose hope because of the struggles in their lives. He definitely encouraged people who were followers of Jesus to remember the great blessing of being one of God’s children and that should be the source of their ability to encourage each other. I love Paul’s confidence that the people were already encouraging one another so he said just keep on. This should challenge as well as spur you and I forward to be those who are encouragers as we have been gifted with God’s peace and hope not just for today but for eternity. So what might encouragement look like today? How might you encourage others? I am going to share something that I have learned especially since the pandemic and I would challenge you – why not get creative and step out and begin to reach out as well.
Over the past 2½ years many of us have struggled with discouragement, sadness, possibly depression etc. wondering when will my life get better or when will things be ‘normal’ again, or will I ever be able to just relax and live like I want to do without having to take precautions. I am sure if we talk to people from our past about epidemics and pandemics they would be able to relate to our feelings as well. I found that people were looking to me for answers, encouragement, possible solutions, etc. As I considered how to shepherd and encourage people in spite of the pandemic I found that the technology of today was a great tool. I decided to combine my gifts of writing and photography and every morning I sent out a text message to those who looked to me for spiritual leadership and encouragement. Then there were a couple who I messaged via messenger. Word of mouth has grown my list and the messages are not just to local people anymore but go all over the nation and even further. Another means of technology that I have used is Facebook and I try to post daily words there for encouragement. Again, that opportunity extended as I was invited to post these daily words on a blogspace. So, the challenge I see here is that for each one of us, we need to possibly think outside the box that we have been trained in or grown up in. I am going to share what an encouragement message might look like as well as some ways photos also encourage people.
Here are three photos of flowers, each one unique. Yes, I admit the one is photoshopped. Let’s consider each one of these photos separately as I did recently as encouragements and I also am going to try to make them relevant to the subject matter.
In the first photo, the flower looks tired. It may be a lack of water, too much water, or its life span is nearing the end. As I ponder this flower I think that it might also be bowing in reverence to its Creator for the opportunity to grow and not only bring beauty to the space but it also has given pollen to the insects as well as it now can provide food for the birds as well as some insects. Some people also enjoy the treat of sunflower seeds and oil so I see this flower as an encouragement even with its ending of life. So too it may be in our lives – there is sadness as some things are changing and some things may be coming to a close in our lives. It was that way on September 11, 2001 – there was great sadness and still is sadness for the great change that it brought to so many people. Today we find ourselves in different places and spaces – how might we be an encouragement to others today who have been affected by this or any tragedy?
In the second photo, the flower is standing very straight and very tall. In fact, this rose had managed to grow through the dense branches of a tree, stretching up tall to find the sun so it could grow a bud and bloom there among the tree leaves. Yes, it kind of looked out of place but it gave such a gift of hope. For me I share this as an encouraging reminder that there are times in our lives when life seems full of darkness, gloom, and sadness. It seems as if our hope has been grabbed away by all the tragedy, all the problems, and all the pain in the world and our lives. Yet, God encourages us to hold strong to our faith in Him, remembering to hold hope out to others. As our faith is placed in God we can stand strong in the dark times and in the dark moments. We too can be like this rose and give hope to others.
In the third photo, again a flower, there are a couple of lessons. A hollyhock begins with a bud or two beginning to bloom. That stem continues to stretch and grow and slowly adds one more bud after the other. As one blossom dies another opens and this particular stem on this plant has been now blooming for about five weeks and continues yet to add buds.
In our lives we continue to grow each day. Some things need to also die in our lives and let new things begin to take their place. We need to be willing to embrace this growing and changing process just as the hollyhock. The second thing here is that I added something – some beautiful song notes. One person responded back that they loved the dancing, singing flower. Yes, we too should be accepting of the things that God wants to add to our lives to share hope with the world.
My final photo is a collage of clouds – the beauty of clouds continually brings my spirit to give praise to God. May this photo encourage you to remember as you look heavenward – God is in charge and He is watching over all of us, collectively as well as individually.
It is my prayer that you will have first of all been encouraged just reading through this writing. Second, it also is my prayer that you will accept the challenge and begin today to practice encouragement on a regular basis. Maybe you are not a photographer or a writer; maybe you are a baker – you can share some cookies, bread, or cake. Maybe you have a flower garden – you can pick a flower or two and share it with someone. You have a broom, a shovel, a mower and someone needs help with cleaning up their yard – you can volunteer. Maybe someone just needs a hug in silence. The sky is the limit on ways we can reach out and help someone. Let the Spirit be your guide and let’s begin to encourage those around us with the love, joy and peace of God. Amen.
Look to the skies and see the many gifts of God’s light, colors, and clouds. I find the skies/heavens a reminder of Jesus’ return to this earth. That alone gives me great encouragement to live in the moment and every moment for His glory. May God bless you and yours today with the gift of peace and hope. Amen.
Research obtained from website on National Day of Encouragement. Scriptures references from The Message Translation.
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