In 1847, a French parish priest asked a local poet to write a Christmas carol, which quickly spread throughout France. The hauntingly beautiful “Cantique De Noel” was an instant hit. Fast forward several decades to America when John Sullivan Dwight discovered the carol. A fiery abolitionist, Dwight fell in love with the song, especially the…
Posts from 2024
In 1904 James Barrie wrote a story about a boy who never grew up and an ordinary girl named Wendy in a place called Neverland, along with a group of children named “The Lost Boys.” In Barrie’s original works, the Lost Boys leave Neverland and grow up, while in the Disney films they are merely…
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. It is a message from God to His people of courage and assurance during times of change and uncertainty. In 2017, Valorie and I…
Dear Servants, Tuesday, November 5, is not just another day in our lives. We go to the polls tomorrow to exercise the privilege and responsibility as Jesus’ followers to be salt and light in our fallen world. Voting is a way to be engaged in shaping policies and electing leaders that impact society and align…
Hey Family, So many good works to share about! (Before I forget, please don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday.) You’ve heard about our new Clothing Closet in partnership with CityTeam in the Neighborhood. The Mingles are helping out! They worked together last week to hang up clothes and put them on the…
Dear Friends, Jesus said “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” What was Jesus doing? He was using a vivid metaphor to make…
We have a “volunteer tree” in our backyard. For those of you, like me, who are not familiar with this term, it’s a tree that germinates and grows all by itself. We didn’t plant it, but one day we looked out and noticed it happily growing up among other plants. On more than one occasion,…
Dear Friends, Here are the headlines as I type: “President Biden said Wednesday that Hurricane Milton is looking like the storm of the century. In less than 14 hours, Milton will make landfall on the western coast of Florida. Winds will be fierce at well over 100mph, with storm surges reading up to 15 feet along…
Hello again friends, We’re just a few days away from the start of our 2024 Valley Church Global Outreach Conference. This is a highlight of the year for many of us to celebrate all God is doing around the world and to be challenged to the task remaining. This year we have so many of…
Dear Family, Webster defines apocalypse as a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction. There are people today who fear that the next global pandemic could be an apocalypse of biblical proportions. Today as I was working out at 24 Hour Fitness, I looked up on the monitor and saw the devastation…