Last week I attended our conference's (Our synod: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi is divided up into smaller groups called conferences, ours is called the Magi Conference and it’s kinda the northeast side of Atlanta from Tucker to Conyers to Athens to Elberton) meeting at Nativity Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, GA and our conference chairperson started the meeting with a devotion. Her devotion was on the 3 chapter of Habakkuk, verses 17-18. Now Habakkuk was a minor prophet, who lived somewhere around 608 – 598 BC during the height of the Babylonian power. He didn't have a lot to say, his writings are only 3 chapters long.

The verses for her devotion were short: “Though the fig tree does not blossom and no fruit is on the vine, though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult the God of my salvation.” She then invite us to fill in our own blanks for the “Though” and the “and” for our own lives. I wrote “Though I am tired and need more days in the week, Though the laundry pile seems to grow and the car is dead, though the process of buying a new one is a pain and I’m tired of thinking – yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.

It was poignant, that on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I much more preferred to get to the laundry or start looking for cars God gave me a little reminder that rather than whining I can choose to rejoice, rather than complaining I could rejoice in my God who loves me and who gives me all I need in life and beyond. It’s easy to forget – for we are practiced people in complaining and whining and sulking when life doesn’t go the way we think it should and yet we have a choice. We can choice to see that in the midst of our struggles, of our difficulties, of our (lots of times petty) problems we can choose to rejoice and exult the God who loves us with an everlasting love.

So if you find it to be helpful write this verse out for yourself, filling in your planks for your “though” and “and” and remind yourself of the blessings God bestows on each of us. Let us know what your "though" and "and" are - if you're really good you can make them rhyme.

Full of grace...just not very graceful,
Pastor Jill

Woven Love

141. It's an interesting number. It should be 142 but I'm slow, so it's a 141. I'm sure you're wondering what 141 means and why would I bring it up. Today I was getting ready for our worship services this weekend and I finally got around to counting the number of prayer shawls that members of my congregation have made. It might be 142 if I get really fast tonight and finish my 1 shawl. Several years ago I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit and knowing myself I knew I wouldn't just learn unless I had a reason - so I decided I would learn how to knit and make a prayer shawl. I have made 3 - ok more like 2 1/2 - but slowly and steadily I have wrapped yarn around knitting needles and made a shawl praying for the person who was to receive it. After I started, I realized that there were others in my congregation who knew how to knit and crochet and so we started a "Knit and a Prayer" ministry, making prayer shawls for those going through hard times but also in celebration of weddings and baptisms.

For the past two years we have made prayer shawls for people who have been hospitalized over the holidays to remind them that even in the midst of their struggles there is a God that loves them and surrounds them in their time of need. We have taken over 75 each year. Well after we provided prayer shawls this past year I got the hair brained idea that we would present a prayer shawl to every family in our congregation as a part of our stewardship program this year. I love the symbolism of knowing that each of us is wrapped in God's loving embrace and accepts us for who we are and where ever we are. It was a huge project and thank God there are women in this congregation who have knitted or crocheted their hearts out for this endeavor because if it was left to these slow hands we'd never had made it.

So there are a 141 prayer shawls to be handed out this coming weekend to our members that have been past around our circle at the end of our meetings and prayed over. There are 141 prayer shawls that have lovingly been woven together as our ladies watched tv or sat at meetings or while we gathered together in our meeting.

It's easy to forget in the midst of the struggles of daily life that we have a God that loves us and cares for us. It's easy to forget that in the midst of the ups and downs of life that we have a God that is right there for us. It's easy to forget that when no one else cares - God cares. It's easy to forget that God surrounds us with the body of Christ to support us and encourage us and remind us. It's easy to forget.

Hopefully for those who will receive these prayer shawls this weekend it won't be as easy.

I've got a little ways to go on mine - but maybe God has another plan for it to bless someone in need - so I'll just keep knitting away....slowly. If you would like more information about prayer shawls or you would like information about how to make one - please comment and I'll be happy to post it.

Full of grace...just not very graceful,

Pastor Jill

Real Faith on the side of the Road

Several weeks ago I took a group of folks from my congregation to see the new movie Eat, Pray, Love staring Julia Roberts. When the book of the same title came out several years ago I decided I was definitely avoiding it. It seemed to me to be just another pop religious fluff that would somehow spout that if you travel to Italy, India and Indonesia somehow you'd find God. Here's where I faced a quandary - I have to read the book if a movie is based on it. It's a little rule I have. My kids hate it but ever since I can remember I've tried to hold true to the"rule". Having said that I can also tell you most of the time it means when I leave a movie one of the first comments I make is "Well, the book was better". I know it's sad and I should just learn to live and let live and just enjoy but I don't. So when it was announced that Julia Roberts was going to play the lead in Eat, Pray, Love I was stuck. Now I could have chosen not to watch the movie but I love Julia Roberts and I wanted to see her in it. I waited to a week before it was released here in the US and started the book and it was NOT what I expected. I really liked a lot of it and while I don't agree with all that Elizabeth Gilbert believes or some of the choices she made I think that it's a great book about the struggle many of us have forming a relationship with God in our modern age. So I recommend it.

But this post isn't really about Eat, Pray, Love. It's merely the inspiration that one of my members, Kathie Rush had over the weekend and she is my first guest blogger, for in a moment I will shut my mouth and let you read about her faith experience. Kathie is an occupational therapist and is married and has two kids, one in a freshmen at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs) and the other a middle schooler. So I'm turning it over to Kathie with my words of thanks to her for sharing her experience.

"During a Boy Scout 10 mile bike ride around Stone Mountain, I got a flat tire at mile 4. While I waited to be rescued, I sat in the yoga position on top of a stone wall near the Grist Mill and meditated. Within a minute, a butterfly landed on my knee! It sat on my knee tickling me with its feet and tasted my sweat for 45 minutes. I kept thinking if you can sit here peacefully, so can I. It was very difficult to stay in one spot and breathe and be at peace. I listened to the water, people talking, and children laughing. I thought about the Julia Roberts new movie, Eat, Pray, Love. The butterfly stayed with me even though people and dogs walked nearby, cars honked their horns, and my body shifted slightly as I waited. As I saw my husband's car pull up, the butterfly flew away. I knew that had to be an angel, or God, or a gift from my long dead grandparents. I thank God for that butterfly and the opportunity to just be."

I hope Kathie's experience invites you to "just be" today or to quote my favorite psalm: "Be still and know that I am God."

Full of grace... just not very graceful,

Pastor Jill