46 Mary responded,“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One is holy,    and he has done great things for me.50 He shows mercy from generation to generation    to all who fear him.51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!    He has...  Read More

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,    whose hope is in the Lord their God.6 He made heaven and earth,    the sea, and everything in them.    He keeps every promise forever.7 He gives justice to the oppressed    and food to the hungry.The Lord frees the prisoners.8     The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.    The Lord love...  Read More

May your Kingdom come soon.May your will be done on earth,    as it is in heaven. Almost Heaven, West Virginia. The phrase is on welcome signs and license plates. It is used in television ads and sung after sporting events. It is truly ubiquitous throughout the Mountain State.And yet, as we prepare for Christmas, the words take on renewed meaning.When Christ prayed “your kingdom come, your will be...  Read More

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone,...  Read More

This past Saturday, nine families joined us for our first Sensory Santa.  We were so excited to offer this event to our community.  Children, who would not be able to visit Santa in a traditional setting, and their families joined us for a morning of Christmas fun.  The kids were able to visit with Santa, decorate cookies, make Christmas ornaments, visit our Photo Booth, and visit our Quiet Room. ...  Read More

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” As a little girl my biggest fear was the dark and being alone. I remember crying to Mom about how the monsters would get me and that she needed to stay.The dark to me was evil and cruel; the light gave promise that th...  Read More

The Florida United Methodist Children's Home has been a part of our church's missions list since our founding. I love hearing all the stories that come from this incredible ministry as much as Val and Eddie love to go visit every year. Last year, we chose as a church to downsize our missions list and focus on organizations that embodied who we are as a church, and those that give our congregation ways t...  Read More

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,    for the Lord has anointed me    to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted    and to proclaim that captives will be released    and prisoners will be freed.2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.3 To all who mo...  Read More

 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. 5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory...  Read More

Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
 and righteousness to the king’s son.
 Help him judge your people in the right way;
 let the poor always be treated fairly.
 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
 and may the hills be fruitful.
Help him to defend the poor,
 to rescue the children of the needy,
 and to crush their oppressors.
 May they fear you as long as the sun shines,
 as long...  Read More

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
 the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
 He will not judge by appearance
 nor make a decision based on hearsay.
 He will give ju...  Read More

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting...  Read More