Weekly News

Weekly News

Sept. 18, 2024

The Power God Gives Us to Comfort Others

Pablo Diaz

When you encounter someone whose heart is broken, here’s what your faith calls you to do.When you are hurting and broken-hearted, so many memories can stir up the pain—places, images, even clothing and household items. As a pastor, I see this with some couples going through divorce. The person still at home wants everything out that

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Sept. 11, 2024

I am not a fan of violent, heavy rainstorms. There is something about water damage both inside the home and outside that scares me. Since I moved into this house in Markland Circle, I have dreaded heavy rain because the eavestroughs would fill up and overflow to the point that my poor gardens under the eaves got more than they bargained for. The soil would be washed away. I have been known to open large umbrellas and place them over my poor plants to

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Sept. 4, 2024
The Fall season is symbolic of change. From the leaves evolving to beautiful warm hues to chunky knit sweaters making their way into our daily attire, Fall brings change—but with a sense of comfort and ease. To admire the changes orchestrated by Mother Nature is to be humbled by nature’s power and its influence over our environment, routines, and even our moods.
Studies show that some…

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Aug. 28, 2024

Well, here we are in the last days of August, and Fall is right around the corner. The CNE is on, and that is a surefire sign that summer is waning and will soon be gone. Thankfully, as I write this, the sun is shining, my lawn is being mowed and I have this glorious day to myself to get tasks completed and to enjoy some outdoor time. We have a busy month…

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August 26, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF Embracing the Shift: Reflecting on Summer’s End and Welcoming Fall’s New Rhythms Exploring Therapy When I was growing up, the end of summer always brought a sense of impending doom. Goodbye summer vacation and hello protractors and geometry. But without fail, every September whenschool would start, I’d be so happy to see my friends again and be learning all sorts of new and interesting things. There’s no denying it—summer is winding down. For many, this transition can bring…

August 21, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF August 20, 2025Having spent last week in Prince Edward County on the shores of West Lake, I am stunned, every year that I am there, how close to God I feel. The sheer beauty of nature, of the sunsets (as seen above), of the quiet, one cannot avoid the feeling that God is all around and that he has produced these wonders so that all who see them cannot help but feel his presence. Hymns kept popping…

August 6, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF Summer—A Great Time to Take a Prayer Walk Rick Hamlin Here are some pointers for incorporating the sights and sounds of the season into your God time. Summer’s here. Time to go for a prayer walk. Savor the marvels of nature as you get in touch with the Creator. Walk and pray? Yes, indeed, you can do both. Good for the body and the soul. Here are a few pointers.No talking. Sure, you can talk to God. But…

July 30, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF here Seek Him in the Quiet PlaceCharmain Hibberd I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 CSB)I’m sure we all have those verses in our Bibles that we have underlined, circled and highlighted, right?For me, the above passage is heavily annotated, But the…

July 23, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF Sarah of the Bible: When God Makes You Laugh Rick Hamlin Remember Sarah’s reaction when the three men—God’s messengers—appeared at Abraham’s tent and said that he and Sarah would have a child within a year? She laughed. How was it possible? She was way too old.“Me, give birth? At my age?”Then she was afraid for having laughed. Even pretended she hadn’t laughed. Lied about it, tried to squirrel out of it. What, me laugh? What I love about Sarah and…

July 16, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF Summer can be a time for spiritual reflection and growth, encouraging a deeper connection with nature, self, and the divine. It’s a season for slowing down, appreciating God’s creation, and finding rest and renewal. Spiritual practices like mindfulness, prayer, and spending time in nature can help foster a greater sense of presence and gratitude during the summer months.  Here are some ways to incorporate spiritual reflection into your summer: 1. Embrace Nature: 2. Cultivate Mindfulness: 3. Seek Rest and Renewal:…

July 9, 2025 – Weekly News

Download the PDF A Word about the Good Samaritan James Hanvey It is so characteristic of Jesus in these great parables of redemption, he not only casts a light on the brokenness of our situation, but he also always opens the door for us to change. Each parable shows us the path to a better way of being and living: a new possibility, maybe one which we had thought was impossible. Indeed, it is the very encounter with Jesus that…

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Ingredients Chocolate Frosting (Optional) Preheat oven, prep pans, and combine dry ingredients:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray and dust with flour two 8-inch round cake pans.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add wet ingredients:  Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, water, vanilla, and oil. Move batter to pans and bake:  Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes.

You Have Voice Male – a Review

Oh, what a night!!! Nothing prepared me for the initial sight of the curtain rising and the stage being filled to the brim with row upon row of men prepared to sing their hearts out. With the first notes of the first selection, I was wrapped in the warmth of those wonderful voices as they sang one of my all-time favourites, Homeward Bound. After performing 3 pieces “en masse”, we then got to hear each choir individually. They were not…

Clara Barton, Angel of the Battlefield

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”                                                     Margaret Mead With help from an essay by Joanna Strong and Tom B. Leonard, from The Book of Virtues, edited by William J. Bennett.  The year was 1862. The Civil War was raging in America. In the battlefields of the country, men were dying, left maimed and bleeding on the field until the battle was…

A First-time Observer’s Experience at General Assembly

It’s hard to use a single adjective to describe the General Assembly for a young observer. While it was a very valuable and eye-opening experience to see how the church operated, admittedly it was also quite dry and confusing at times. I’m very grateful that a pastor helped get me registered as an observer and that GA was close enough this year for me to attend. What I enjoyed the most were: getting a better understanding of our church as…