I can do it myself! That has been my governing philosophy for nearly my entire adult life.   Only in the last couple of years have I begun to realize how untrue that statement is.  In fact, my pride resulted in my obdurate refusal to see God’s love for me coming through others.  But pride leads us the wrong direction (Proverbs 26:12 NAB). I am an intensely private person; slow to open up and often perceived as aloof.  In my

In a world full of hate Be a light. When you do somebody wrong Make it right. Don’t hide in the dark you were born to shine. In a world full of hate Be a light. These lyrics are so simple.  Are you a light?  How do people see you? Positive, happy, and joyful? I think PWC is a perfect example of all of us being a light. The energy, love and acceptance  we all feel when we walk

This is the third reflection I have written and for some reason the most difficult. In the past when I was asked to write a reflection it seemed I always had a theme or idea that I wanted to write about. This time nothing, and the more effort I put into it the more distant the words and ideas became. I imagine those who know me probably feel this is normal operating procedure for me. At first, I was

It is an honor to share thoughts with the PWC community, which is such an integral part of my life. Over the years I have watched the spirit move and change lives in the community, including mine. I remember the day I felt drawn to the fledgling community that was born out of brokenness within the body from our previous community. I called FD for a lunch meeting, and he graciously accepted. As we ate, I shared with him

The Power of Prayer After "failing" at retiring, I decided to look for a part-time job that would help keep my mind sharp. Yet, one that would also help others. I found that perfect job over three years ago at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. Three days a week, I work behind the information desks and get to calm passengers down and point them in the right direction. Most people are nice. A few can be bullying and abrasive! Many

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). I start every morning and every day saying this bible verse. I am a national sales director for a biopharmaceutical company, and about a year ago, I built a pulmonary division from the ground up for the organization. Being in this role has been a true blessing because it has allowed me to provide great career opportunities for over a hundred people while also helping to

I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who made my 70th birthday so beautiful and not so painful.   As many of you know from your own experience, certain birthdays are significant.  Seventy always seemed significant because it meant you were officially OLD. Now that I am part of the “70 Club”, I do acknowledge that 70 is OLD.  Old, however, does not mean FINISHED!  I know there is still more work to do for

I want to pay all of you huge compliment.  You are AWESOME! I know for many compliments are very hard to accept.  We never want to boast, and we can always look for the flaws and shortcomings in our lives to overshadow the compliments given. Today, I do want to let you know that I stand by statement, when I say that you are AWESOME, and I will throw in amazing.  This is why! As you all know we

To Love Like Jesus In anticipation of our upcoming trip to Italy, I’ve been reflecting on my last trip to Italy in 2019 with PWC. That was actually my first-ever international travel adventure. I packed like a first-time tourist, not sure what to expect along the way. I was amazed by the grandeur of the Vatican, captivated by the ancient art and architecture in Rome, and charmed by the hillside vineyards and olive trees filling the landscape on our

Today’s reflection is from the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel verses 19-39. The testimony of John the Baptist is recalled in this scripture. It is the first witness to the identity of Jesus as the chosen one of God. It is from this proclamation that Jesus calls the apostles. There is no baptism of Jesus as there is in the synoptic Gospels and no temptation in the wilderness.  Rather, there is an affirmation that God’s Spirit has singled him

In the Garden Gardening, I think it is in my genetics.  My grandmother had a big garden, canned a lot of produce from it, and then shared the bounty with others.  I can remember seeing my grandmother behind the rototiller working the ground, she would put me to work pulling weeds, picking beans, digging potatoes or other jobs in the garden.  I always enjoyed when she would hand me a piece of okra, or a fresh tomato and we

My Life is a Song! What an amazing God we have! If we would totally surrender everything to Him and let Him lead the way for every aspect of our daily lives, we could see how truly amazing He is! When I wake up in the morning, I lay very still and realize that God has gifted me with another beautiful day. So many people don’t have the blessing of another day with our amazing God. As I start

Reflecting for the First Four Months of 2022 I am sure we will all agree that the last two years have been extremely difficult for most of the people I know. Let’s start with Covid, Ukraine, inflation, and the stock market which seems to belong on one of those bouncy things kids love to jump on. The truth is I was hoping for the world, and especially my family life to start looking like something more normal. I was

In my own faith journey, I have come to know that following Jesus by living as he lived is not easy.During Holy Week we celebrated the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is belief in this truth that is at the heart of what defines all Christians.  We embrace the death of Jesus and His resurrection, proving He overcame death.  We live in eternal Hope that for those of us who live out our lives as Jesus did,

A reflection for me is a very personal heartfelt part of me. Sometimes when I have thought about this writing I have wavered on the subject. I was waiting on the Lord to bring to mind something that is very deep in my soul and memory. This morning Peter and I were talking and out of the blue my dearest cousin Tammy’s name came up. I knew right away that she will be my reflection. We grew up together in

In one of our women’s bible study gatherings, I remember someone asking how to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us; and someone else said that it might be a thought planted in our head. After 6 months or so of attending the Praise & Worship Center (PWC), there was an occasion where I was standing in my bedroom closet and the word TRANSFORMATION came to my mind. I believe that “God moment” in my closet was the Holy Spirit

Peace Be with You… One of the most common greetings we hear from Jesus are the words, “Peace be with you.”  In every resurrection account up to His ascension into heaven Jesus always greets his friends with this beautiful salutation. The disciples needed to hear these words because they were living in fear. The world as they knew it was just turned upside down. Many ran and hid behind locked doors in fear of being attacked. Jesus wants to give

Stretcher Bearers “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.  So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it,

The Concept of Little Easters We all know what the meaning of Easter is!   Jesus died for our sins on Good Friday, and on Easter morning he breaks forth from the tomb and conquers death.  Easter is the most important day to any Christian, indeed, to any person who hopes for eternal life. I hope and pray that the joy of Easter fills our hearts in a special way this year.  We could use a little more Easter in

Judgment As I grow older and hopefully wiser, an apparent need to address my addiction to “Judgment” has risen.  It appears to me that much of what I view goes through this filter of judging.  Let’s take a car I see while driving along or any object for that matter.  I may think I don’t like the color.  It is too big, too small, the tires too little.  Then there are even people I meet …too fat, too skinny

Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” We sang this several weeks ago on Sunday morning giving kudos to artist Kathy Triccoli. The music has been resonating in my head and heart ever since. Coincidently, I was asked to write a reflection about that same time.  The timing was perfect. I knew Psalm 23 well from grade school when we could still

A Reflection From My Heart The new direction in my life has brought about a transformation in me that has awakened my soul to the Holy Spirit. As I stumbled through life, being swallowed up by indulgences and weakness, I wasn’t sure that God was there with me, so I chose to shut him out rather than allow myself to feel his presence.  Then, one frightening day, when my body was sick and life felt hopeless and my path

Thank You We gathered tonight around a hospital bed with a dear friend on hospice. We held his hand; shared words of affirmation and then began to sing songs of praise with him. John and Mary turned an ordinary living room into a piece of heaven. Angels gathered in that room, around this special man through the gift of their ministry and music. One chord at a time, one note, one lyric moved everyone in that room one step

I am a Friend of Jesus! Recently, I have been reflecting on “I AM A FRIEND OF JESUS” He calls me friend. What did I do to deserve to be called his friend? Am I worthy? Why? I love the song “I am a friend of Jesus.” When I first heard it sung in church by Joyce Bailey, it made me feel so special to be called a friend of Jesus. Thank you, Joyce! As I spend time in prayer

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17 NLT Last Christmas I was honored to receive one of the most loving and tender gifts of my life.  The gift was the joy of