Author: Cindy Lee

Normally I write the Monday devotional—First Steps. This week I want you to write your own. It is Thanksgiving Week, one of my favorite holidays. Make a list of the things you are most thankful for (List at least 5). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Now, take the next step – express your gratitude to God or to others. Then watch the gratitude spread. Happy Thanksgiving, This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Colossians 1 | Colossians 2 | Colossians 3 | Colossians 4 *Tuesday – 1 Timothy 1 | 1 Timothy 2 | 1 Timothy 3 | 1 Timothy 4 *Wednesday- 1 Timothy 5 | 1 Timothy 6 | Titus 1 | Titus 2 | Titus 3 *Thursday – 2 Timothy 1 | 2 Timothy 2 | 2 Timothy 3 | 2 Timothy 4 *Friday- Philemon 1-25 | Hebrews 1 | Hebrews 2 | Hebrews 3 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote: 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. What feeds your words and your actions? Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t know why I said that or did this?” Before there is a word spoken or an act committed, there is a desire lurking underneath. For most people when they do something contrary or out of character, what lurks underneath is calling the shots. It determines the behavior. It is like pus under an infectious scab. For the Ephesians, it was verse 31. In order for there to be change, one must know what is underneath the surface. The key is an honest evaluation and acknowledgment. One can’t live into a new day without knowing where to start. Therefore, get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice, jealously, or anything along those lines. This week focus on what is underneath. This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 9 | Romans 10 | Romans 11 | Romans 12 *Tuesday – Romans 13 | Romans 14 | Romans 15 | Romans 16 *Wednesday- Ephesians 1 | Ephesians 2 | Ephesians 3 | Ephesians 4 *Thursday – Ephesians 5 | Ephesians 6 *Friday- Philippians 1 | Philippians 2 | Philippians 3 | Philippians 4 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Psalm 19:7-14   The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.  The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.  Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Most people when they think of Psalm 19, think of verse 14 (above italics). Many people have prayed that verse for themselves. I know I have done it plenty of times. But what is interesting to me is that the psalmist’s meditation of his (or her) heart is to be influenced by the Law of the Lord. The goal is to be so familiar with the Torah (Law-Commandments) that it naturally flows out of the psalmist’s behavior. Meditation is an inward journey so that it affects the meditator first and foremost. In today’s climate, this is a must for the Christian. Because of the division, lack of trust, and cancel culture that exists, there is a higher premium on personal conduct for Christians. This means in the face of disagreement and argument, the follower of Christ must maintain an identity that is anchored in Christ. When others around lose their heads, tempers, and act out unfairly, the God-lover doesn’t have to respond in a similar kind. Most can’t do that without a Christ-form identity that resists the temptation to act in a manner unfitting for the Kingdom of God. Yes, we want the meditations of our hearts to be pleasing in the sight of God, but that can’t happen without meditating on His Word. One leads to the other. This week focus on your inside, your heart. Allow the Word of the Lord to remake you into the image of Christ. This Week’s Readings: • Monday – Matthew 26 | Matthew 27 • Tuesday – 1 Thessalonians 1 | 1 Thessalonians 2 | 1 Thessalonians 3 • Wednesday- 2 Thessalonians 1 | 2 Thessalonians 2 | 2 Thessalonians 3 • Thursday – Romans 1 | Romans 2 | Romans 3 | Romans 4 • Friday- Romans 5 | Romans 6 | Romans 7 | Romans 8 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

1-2 Please, God, no more yelling, no more trips to the woodshed. Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. 2-3 Can’t you see I’m black-and-blue, beaten up badly in bones and soul? God, how long will it take for you to let up? 4-5 Break in, God, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. I’m no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb! 6-7 I’m tired of all this—so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope. (Psalm 6:1-7, The Message). In this passage, David speaks to God as though he is talking to someone who is unaware of his situation or suffering. It seems as if David thinks God is not taking care of him and knows nothing of his problems. But no matter how deep the despair, the eyes of faith can find plenty of goodness in God. The storm may not cease at once. Therefore, cast your anchor of faith, allow it to stand firm, and know that God will surely preserve and keep the ship from destruction (Paraphrased from John Knox’s notes on Psalm 6). The same David who wrote Psalm 6 also wrote, “weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).  When in the storm, hold on until the joy comes! This Week’s Readings: • Monday – Matthew 11 | Matthew 12 | Matthew 13 • Tuesday – Matthew 14 | Matthew 15 | Matthew 16 • Wednesday- Matthew 17 | Matthew 18 | Matthew 19 • Thursday – Matthew 20 | Mathew 21 | Matthew 22 • Friday- Matthew 23 | Matthew 24 | Matthew 25 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

A good friend of mine recently shared with me a Centering Prayer based on the acronym RAIN. Centering Prayer is similar to meditation where one’s focus is inward asking God to join in a person’s reflections and inner journey. The focus is not on the outside but the inside that is most important. Frankly, I really like this prayer and have been using it over the last month. Give this a try – Sit quietly for a few moments. Focus on your breathing, slow it down if possible. Then ask God to help you: R: Recognize—Consciously acknowledge your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A: Allow—Allow what you recognized to simply be there, without trying to fix or avoid it. I: Investigate—Ask yourself, “What wants the most attention and how am I experiencing this?” N: Nurture—Release judgment, criticism, and shame. In a world of information overload, strife, and conflict, this method of prayer can be very helpful. If this method of prayer is new to you, try it a number of times—the key is to not get in a hurry and stay as long as needed.   This Week’s Readings: -Monday – 2 Corinthians 7 | 2 Corinthians 8 | 2 Corinthians 9 | 2 Corinthians 10 -Tuesday – 2 Corinthians 11 | 2 Corinthians 12 |2 Corinthians 13 -Wednesday- Matthew 1 | Matthew 2 | Matthew 3 | Matthew 4 -Thursday – Mathew 5 | Matthew 6 | Matthew 7 -Friday- Matthew 8 | Matthew 9 | Matthew 10 Please pray for: -An end to the Covid Crisis.  -Our children as they cope with world issues. -All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. -Families in crisis. -Loved ones battling illness. -Those seeking to find their way. -The St. Paul Church family.  -The United Methodist Church family. -Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

While at a recent seminar, I heard a poem titled Fire, by Judy Brown. What makes a fire burn is space between the logs, a breathing space.  Too much of a good thing, too many logs packed in too tight can douse the flames almost as surely as a pail of water would.  So building fires requires attention to the spaces in between, as much as to the wood. When we are able to build open spaces in the same way we have learned to pile on the logs, then we can come to see how it is fuel, and absence of the fuel together, that makes fires possible. We only need to lay a log lightly from time to time.  A fire grows simply because the space is there, with openings in which the flame that knows just how it wants to burn can easily find its way. As the person read this poem, I immediately thought of relationships—martial relationships.  Due to my profession, I am exposed to many marital relationships.  Most of the time, when marriages struggle, they have forgotten that each person needs space to grow as individuals and as a couple.  Maturation is expected, even required for the continual health of the relationship.  This means change will always occur—which is not a bad thing.  I wish young couples understood this early in their relationship.  Normally, the material or skills to move the relationship back to wholeness and fulfillment is already there, laden.  What is needed is an awareness that people are constantly in process.  Oaths and commitments aren’t, “I will be everything in every situation.”  It is, “as I grow and become, I pledge that to you.”    Blessings,   This Week’s Readings: Monday – 1 Corinthians 12 Tuesday – 1 Corinthians 13 | 1 Corinthians 14 Wednesday- 1 Corinthians 15 | 1 Corinthians 16 Thursday – 2 Corinthians 1 | 2 Corinthians 2 Friday- 2 Corinthians 3 | 2 Corinthians 4 | 2 Corinthians 5 | 2 Corinthians 6 Please pray for: An end to the Covid Crisis.  Our children as they cope with world issues. All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. Families in crisis. Loved ones battling illness. Those seeking to find their way. The St. Paul Church family.  The United Methodist Church family. Our leaders, our country, and our world.