Our Stories Unleashed

Emmanuel

“God with us.” A promise of his presence. A promise that we are never truly alone. The mighty one who was present at the creation of the world is also present on our best, our worst, and our most mundane days.  In Matthew 1:22-23, an angel provides hope that, “... all of this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel...

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Waiting in the Storm

A couple weeks ago, as Hurricane Idalia churned toward the west coast of the Florida peninsula, weather forecasters made clear the threat this storm carried for residents in its path. We heard and read about the predicted path of the storm in the days leading up to its landfall, including the name of the town where some of my relatives live. It would hit hard there and cause significant damage. I began praying for the safety of the people and their towns, both during and after the...

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Church and Family

“The church and the family are inherently connected to one another, and the well-being of one is dependent on the other.” - Chris Shirley, Family Ministry and the Church: A Leader's Guide for Ministry Through Families I have been thinking a lot about this lately. When you look at your family and your home, how do you see the church reflected? And when you look at your church, how do you see your family reflected? My prayer is that you find reflections of both in each other. In...

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