When you’re scared, the hardest thing to do is step in the direction you’re afraid to go. That’s why we say: take it one step at a time. I have no idea where that phrase came from, but it comes in handy in many situations. For example, when you’re tired and have to walk up a big hill, you can tell yourself just one step at a time. Or, when doing something terrifying, you can think about it one ste...  Read More

Four members from Lake Deaton United Methodist Church in the Villages spent eight straight days from June 9-16th biking across Kansas to raise funds for the Children'sHome!One of the four, Wendy Wright, attended our Day on Campus event in Enterprise back on March 25th where she discovered that folks described the Children's Home with single words like: Sanctuary, Healing, Blessing, Love, Hope, Opp...  Read More

Have you ever noticed how we’re fascinated by the lives of people who can’t see? In recent years, quite a few things have come out on TV about blind people. We have Daredevil in 2015, about many people’s favorite superhero who fights crime as a lawyer by day and as a blind vigilante by night. Then in 2019, Apple released two shoes: See and In the Dark. One is about humanity all becoming blind, and...  Read More

I love the words of Surrounded by Michael W Smith: Some of the lyrics are:The word says"For the spirit of heavinessPut on the garment of praise” [Isaiah 61:3]That's how we fight our battles...This is how I fight my battlesIt may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by You What I love about this song is the last line I shared. When we feel surrounded by something against us, we need to remem...  Read More

Did you know that throughout the Bible, 365 different Bible verses talk about fear? I have never counted myself, but that number has been important to preachers for a long time because it means you could look at a passage every day of the year, reminding yourself not to be afraid.Morgan explains that when Scripture repeats something, it’s because it’s important to God: “In our distresses in life w...  Read More

At Annual Conference this year, the clergy were invited to a year-long challenge to improve our health. What better way to help us lead from a healthy place than to make it a competition? Even better, they invited us to bring our congregations into it to help increase our chances of winning prizes in the efforts...so by completing this work, you can help Pastor Faith possibly win something at Annu...  Read More

When we grow deeper into our faith, one of the hardest things is to determine what is God’s guidance in our lives, when our emotions talking, and when they are the same thing. We’re taught we can’t trust our feelings because they cloud our judgment. From adults we expect a maturity that says, “Don’t trust your emotions, and never be controlled by them. We’re to walk by faith, not by feelings. Some...  Read More

Waiting on God is fruitless if we’re not leaving room for him. Realize that I said fruitless and not pointless. I have received some of my most profound spiritual growth during waiting times. Some of those times have lasted years. (Sorry to some of you who are in waiting seasons.)My last waiting season was long because I had to heal from my hurt and pain. God was preparing me for where he wanted m...  Read More

There’s nothing worse than waiting. As a kid growing up, we were late to everything. One of my strongest memories is being late to church…OFTEN. My mom, brother, and I would walk in through the front doors of our enormous sanctuary (it was in my child’s eyes) and sit down on the front row. My dad sat at the platform (chancel), where he helped lead the service and would watch us as we walked in.I h...  Read More

If you like to do any target games like darts, axe throwing, archery, etc., you know it takes practice to hit your target. Prayer is no different. The more we pray, the better we get at getting to the heart (center) of what we need to pray about and then earnestly repeating the topic.Faith and prayer go hand in hand. Sometimes, we have the faith to back up our prayers. Other times, we have to pray...  Read More

There is something to looking at the positive side of life. I consider myself a realist. You know the whole “Is it half full or half empty? Question? I see half a cup of water. Research shows that people who look for the positive side are happier.The same is true for prayer. If you pray positively, “God, use your power to do something amazing…” instead of, “God, stop anything bad from happening to...  Read More

The Asbell family has become three faces that light up everyone's hearts when we see them. If you haven't met Steve, Jennifer, and their son, you need to. They are sure to share their creativity and joy with you. Like many families after COVID, they wanted a church that felt more like a family than a large institution. FIUMC friends...you exceeded all expectations! This family has found their plac...  Read More