New England news & perspectives
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Stand Firm
I don’t know if you’ve heard the adage “don’t just stand there, do something,” but I’ve sometimes wondered if our culture could ever shed the prevalence of these words. I think there’s a consensus in our fast-paced world that says it’s almost always better to be “doing”—working, planning, moving forward (even if it’s in the wrong direction) as long as we’re doing something.
Faith (When It Doesn’t Make Sense)
At the end of the book of Jeremiah, we find a group of people looking for things to make sense. Jeremiah had spent his life warning the people that they must repent and turn back to the Lord, only to watch them continually despise God’s commands. True to His Word, God allows the land to be conquered and the people to be exiled.
Faith Over Fear
A few weeks ago, my friends and I were talking about safety and fear. One friend shared how she is always prepared for a disaster. She’s thinking through safety protocols, searching for emergency exits, and just waiting for disaster to strike. That is definitely not me. I wouldn’t say I’m careless, but I definitely am not consumed by this fear. However, if you could see my thoughts, you might realize that I’m much more controlled by fear than I’d care to admit.
The woman who clings to Jesus
Another busy summer is wrapping up, and the school year is beginning. As a ministry family, summer is a whirlwind of outreach, events, and visitors. And as a homeschooling mom, the responsibilities of the school year are tremendous.
Dream bigger
"How could we bless you?"
He looked at me intently as I gathered the courage to reply: "I'd love to go to seminary."
"Done," he said. "You should have dreamed bigger."
Let me tell you, friends—those are some haunting words.
The chronic Gospel
One in 3,200. That's the statistic: for every 3,200 live births in the US, one sweet baby will have a rare, incurable, progressive disease called cystic fibrosis. On July 1, 2020, my daughter arrived in the world as the one.
Sacred space
Every day. Every day God has a plan for my life. Every day He wants to guide, teach, and use my life for his purposes. To abide in Him (John 15). Every day I decide to follow or go my own way. For years I taught a retreat curriculum that referenced the phrase, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”
By faith
New Hope Community Church of Ayer is a multicultural church that has grown out of a vision from God to provide a local place of worship for an underserved community. This month the church celebrated its 33rd anniversary. What a testimony to the glory of God! What a mighty God we serve. A small group of people’s faith in the power of God’s word is evident in the church today. The church testimony has held firm: “We’ve come this far by faith”.
Through faith and patience
“...that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:12
On June 19th, 2021 our country declared Juneteenth a national holiday. The original date in 1866 marked the end of 250 years of enslavement for people of African descent with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. As I remember my slave ancestors, I am inspired by their resilience as they endured unimaginable suffering and unfair treatment; they held fast to a promise that one day their children and grandchildren would be free.