​He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 ESV

Meditation is focused thinking. It takes serious effort. You select a verse and reflect on it over and over in your mind...if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate  -Rick Warren
What does this quote mean to you? I once had a friend tell me: “if you know how to worry, you know how to pray”. It wasn’t until years later that I truly understood this truth. The focus is on being mindful.  We can either begin spinning out of control with our thoughts or actually take time to feel our fear, understand where it’s coming from and then actually give it to God to handle. 
Is worry something you struggle with?  -Meghan ​

Your heart just scheduled a meeting with you. What do you think it wants to talk about? ​

God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet. –Jackie Pullinger. 

Put your money where your mouth is- Show me your actions, not just your words.  Two other ways of sharing this truth. God wants us to DO and not just SAY what we believe. 

People will hear your actions a lot louder than your words. In these times, it’s easy to spout our opinions, and it is important to have principles we live by; Don’t stop there, though.  Do something for humanity to make it better. Show someone God’s love in simple ways. A quick text or a note saying you’re thinking of someone means so much. What can you do today to show others God’s love? - Meghan

I have asked some of our congregants to share some insights into a verse or a spiritual truth. We can learn so much from one another! Today's comes from Bob Wilson: 

​'Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. '

Matthew 7:1-2
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.7.1-2

Bob says he picked this verse because “I find myself being caught up in this!!  Especially lately--I want to agree with those that say what I want to say and shouldn't!!”
This is so easy to do and what a good reminder these days. As hard as this is to do, it is wise to work on this.   It is definitely a discipline that is much easier said than done. Do you struggle with this and if so, how do you try to manage this? - Meghan 

Here’s a throw-back from one of our most popular original devotionals. 
Promises and Waiting
Then Jacob saw the Lord standing above the ladder, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are now sleeping. Your descendants will be as many as the dust of the earth. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. I am with you and will protect you everywhere you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13-15 Then Jacob saw the LORD standing above the ladder, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you ar | New Century Version (NCV) 
In previous verses, we see that while sleeping, Jacob was envisioning a ladder that had heavenly beings on it. The Lord spoke to him in this dream. In this dream, God promised Jacob that not only he'd have His presence, but also His provision. When God says you will have what I promised you, He is promising provision and reassuring Jacob that His promises will become true.
How many times do we worry so much about provision? Will it be on time? Will it be enough? Why is this the current theme in many of our lives and hearts? If we know He will provide, why does a part of us doubt?
 Prayer:  Dear Lord, help us Remember that you are in control. Ease our worrisome hearts. If you choose to make us wait on you, give us peace. -Meghan

We have been discussing our thoughts this week. In this, we have learned that God gives us an “out” when we feel overwhelmed with our fearful, negative thinking.  One of the tools available to us is praise. Praise is reminding yourself who God is and telling God you are aware of His control over the circumstance. I’m not talking about walking around like there is nothing going on in your life or the world (or whatever circumstance that comes to mind), but I am talking about knowing who is in control in the grand scheme of things. Worry and fear are not things that are helpful to us spiritually and they are damaging to our physical health as well. According to  Dr. Caroline Leaf in Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.  It is imperative that we recognize how our negative thought patterns impact our well-being physically and emotionally. Likewise, it is important to monitor how these things affect us spiritually. Be mindful of this in the coming days and reach out if you need additional guidance on ways to begin the process of becoming more aware of your thought patterns and how they impact your well-being. -Meghan ​

​'You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord , whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? '

Psalm 56:8-11

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? ' Psalm 56: 1-4 

How many of us have felt beaten up lately?  Just feeling kind of down in the dumps and not certain about what the future holds in many aspects of life.  Personally, nationally, health-wise, there are a lot of uncertainties to things as of late and it can be draining.  I am reminded that in this verse, David had already been anointed future King of Israel by Samuel, but the current King, Saul, was very jealous and was seeking to kill him. David had to have a little pep talk with himself, reminding himself who is in charge.  This passage illuminates the turnabout of his fearful thoughts.  He prayed and acknowledged the problem (attackers and enemies coming at him) and he then laid it out:”I put my trust in you”.  
I’d encourage you to remember this tactic when you find yourself fearful. It is referred to as thought stopping when used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and it’s an effective, evidence-based tactic to help keep our thoughts under control.  Don’t let the fear take over. Acknowledge it and then remind yourself that God is in control and He will reveal the things you need to do in the process of the problem at hand- Meghan 

​It seems like someone is watching my life and writing it down.  The study was from Isaiah 40: 28-31.  Perseverance... Very appropriate for me right now.  Persevering to reach the goals I've set for myself.  I used to walk around "the block" when I lived at home.  Of course it was a three mile hike.  Starting out is a nice easy downhill experience that took me past my Grandmother’s home and then once you get to the bottom and look ahead, it seemed like the road just went straight up in the air.  But, you do what you can and go a little way until you think your legs just might fall off.  The next day might even be the same.  But the next day you do a few more steps or yards, and then the next day after that the same. And now you've started noticing how pretty the trees are and not thinking about where your next breath is coming from. There are so many new things to see.  There's a new baby calf in the field and the cows just watch you walk by as your heaving steadily and soon you have to turn around and go back down. Now it’s uphill both ways.   But because you've persevered, you finally make it up that hill, the BIG ONE and you've done it without a hitch.  The cows seem to follow your progress and give out that low belly "mmmmm" when you go by. They've become your cheering section.  Before long, without even realizing it,you've walked three miles worth of up hills and down hills.  Then the road evens out and your home.

There are a lot of uphill battles in life.  We begin experiencing them from the day we are born.  Learning to walk, talk, dress ourselves and learning to read and meeting new people.  The loss of family and loved ones and being alone for the first time for a holiday. Working to maintain your home, recovering from an illness and enduring life somewhere that you don't want to be. And for sure going on the diet of your life.   But all these uphill battles open up new opportunities, new adventures, new friends and even a new lease on life.  Because we've persevered, it makes us stronger in life and able to "Do or Do Not, there is no try!" We just need to ask Christ to climb the hill with us. He'll be there to pick us up if we should stumble and fall.  He'll walk along beside you ALL the way.  You just need to invite Him.  Do that today.  What a difference it will make in your life.- Joyce Miller