Tiffanie Villasana Proverbs  27:9  Perfume and incense refresh the soul: so does the sweetness of a man's friend by heartfelt advice. Reflection:  My sense of smell is my most favorite sense. Those who know me well know I love a good candle. Same goes for perfumes. I have my tried and true and I rotate them for different seasons. I joke that I might be part human/part bloodhound. For me, a certain smell can elicit certain emotions and bring a sense of comfort or nostalgia almost immediately.  Proverbs tells us that a good friendship, especially one that provides good [...]

Rev. David Horton, Lead Pastor at Gethsemane Genesis 18:1-10 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3He said, ‘My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5Let me bring a [...]

Rev. Michelle Manuel You stand at the threshold A new season has arrived slowly or quickly Or both You’ve resisted it or welcomed it Or both The way forward is unclear uneasiness and unsteadiness Excitement and anticipation Floodgates broken by questions What if? What then? Where to? Who? How? May you remember there’s always Bread A sustaining presence especially if sorrow is near especially when celebration has come May you always see the Bread May the grief not consume you The Lord holding you steady and safe Allow it to come Be it seemingly never-ending Or simply asking to [...]

Shelby Olive, Communications Associate Mark 1:7-12  7 [John the Baptist] proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 [...]

Erin Campbell Naman, Church Member since 2009, Member of Children’s Council, Member of Lay Leadership Council Jonah 1:1-3; 2:2-4; 4:1-4 “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence [...]

Joseph Patty; Associate Director of Student Ministry Joshua 3:5 “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 4:11-14 On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased [….] Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries? [...]

Rachel Fisher, Children’s Ministries Communications Specialist Isaiah 30:20-21 (ESV) 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Reflection: The other day I went to run errands after an argument with my mother. As most quarrels go, I now cannot remember why we were fighting…but at [...]

Louise McEvoy, Adult Ministries Coordinator, 1 Samuel 25:18-19, 23-27, 30-33 (NIV) 18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and [...]