On Sunday we celebrated "Christmas in July." I know there are some folks who really enjoy that service and there are others tempted to "skip church" if they know it's happening. Funny how we get set in our ways about when and how things should happen; Christmas is for December and summer is for the energy and excitement of staff worship and camp music. Those are all things we have established and try to follow to maintain some measure of control in our world. And, Lord knows, we need control and a rhyme and reason for things to happen as and when they do.

But we all know that, in reality, we have very little control over what happens in this life, even on a day to day basis. We plan and prepare and plan some more, but hopefully our faith and security do not lie in our planning. Life can throw some pretty big ringers our way: sickness, accident, financial crisis, crop failure, relationship break-up, death...Bottom line, there is little over which we have control. Maybe that's why we tend to hold so tightly to that which we think we can.

I wonder if there is an alternative approach? Of course it is truly difficult to "live for today," carpe diem, so to speak, and yet that is the advice that is given to us from both history and the scriptures. Maybe life will be richer, fuller, and even longer, if we learn to enjoy the day and what it brings, rejoicing in the gifts God offers and looking for His presence and promise in the trials.

Who knows, we just might receive what we need instead of what we want!

Something to ponder for the week....

Peace,

Pastor Carol