My faith story over the last 18 months or so has been a long journey of ups and downs. Most Prince of Peace members know me as the happiest young woman when I walk into church—and believe me, I was, until I got some news that took a toll on me, emotionally and spiritually. In November...
God has a sense of humor. We've all heard that—and probably said it—but usually it's in the context of something like: “When we make plans, God laughs.” Or we tell a story about how a God moment came out of left field, catching us completely off-guard, and conclude it...
This morning I woke feeling compelled to share some thoughts I had during our beautiful Christmas concert last night. If you were in attendance, I'd be curious to know if the Holy Spirit enlightened you with similar thoughts and feelings. "Come and see what God has done." This past...
This past weekend we hosted a neighborhood block party to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation! There was an overwhelming positive response from the 500 plus attendees. “My family needed this. Thank you Prince of Peace for hosting this day.” “The...
Prelude from the author: "I wrote this poem when I was really struggling emotionally with anxiety. At the time my anxiety made me push everyone I cared about away, especially God. I wrote this poem as a way to lean into my anxiety, and to finally reach out to my loved ones and God...
This message was originally given at the September 15, 2017 closing devotion for the Ministerial Care Coalition (MC2) by Rev. Jim Otte, LPC. Thank you Rev. Otte for sharing your thoughts of grace in a time such as these. I’ve been thinking a lot about the grace of God...
About a year ago, I left Springfield and Prince of Peace and moved south to beautiful Hilton Head, SC. I’m living in a lovely community, but as with any smaller town, especially one whose economy relies on tourism, golf, and the beach, it has its shortcomings. I...
"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." Genesis 12:1 Although I had traveled out of the country before, the very idea of living and working in another country was humbling and very spiritual for me. I...
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.—Romans 15:13 Last week, I shared the story of the picnic table in my front yard. Today is part two of this ongoing neighborhood adventure. The day...
With all the stress and anxiety in the world, my husband Jeff and I have been asking ourselves how we can promote hope in our neighborhood and community. Jeff and I were both raised in communities which had dedicated spaces where people could gather and talk about current events, listen...