| The other day while walking past one of our Christmas trees, I looked down and realized that it needed more water. The tree-stand was almost empty. Naturally, I filled the stand full of water for the fourth time in a week. While pouring the water, I immediately said to myself, “Well here is a modern-day parable.” Let me elaborate: There once was a man who bought a Christmas tree for decoration. He came home, put the tree in the stand, and his family decorated it with beautiful ornaments and lights. Knowing that the tree was cut from its roots, the man knew that the tree would need water to keep it alive as long as possible, at least through the month of December. He knew that the tree needed the water and the moment the stand was empty the tree would die immediately. So, every time the man walked by the tree, he made sure it had plenty of water, thus keeping it alive as long as possible. Like any parable, there might need to be an explanation: We are like the tree, we need water to live, we have to monitor the water intake continually filling, or we will be like a dying tree where leaves fall off and we lose our beauty. Spiritually speaking, we need the life-giving water that comes from God’s Spirit. Failure to continually fill our insides will only produce decay.  This Week’s Readings: * Monday – Rev. 1 | Rev. 2 | Rev. 3 | Rev. 4 * Tuesday – Rev. 5 | Rev. 6 | Rev. 7 | Rev. 8 | Rev. 9 * Wednesday- Rev. 10 | Rev. 11 | Rev. 12 | Rev. 13 | Rev. 14 * Thursday – Rev. 15 | Rev. 16 | Rev. 17 | Rev. 18 * Friday- Rev. 19 | Rev. 20 | Rev. 21 | Rev. 22 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 |