St. Luke's Blogs

When I was small and my parents were going on a weekend trip, they asked if there was anything I wanted them to bring back; I told them I’d like to have two purses!  A purse can complement an outfit, as well as serve a practical use.  I love to carry a purse until it becomes too heavy!  A backpack full of books, a purse that weighs 25 lbs., a suitcase loaded with belongings; all are things I’ve carried at one time or another.  Those are also things that I can easily unpack and put away! Unfortunately, there’s another kind of weight I’ve carried before that isn’t as easily emptied, and that’s the weight of worry.  My “bag of worry” can quickly become heavy with concerns…

Through the years I’ve learned that everyone has a different style for unpacking – both at our destinations and at home.  When our family arrives in the hotel, some of us utilize the drawers and closet to fold and hang our clothes so they will be easily accessible during our stay.  Others keep the clothes in the suitcase to make sure we do not leave anything behind.  When we arrive home some of us like to unpack immediately, while others prefer to take their time. Years ago, a mentor encouraged me to “unpack the Scriptures.”

Packing is the most stressful and unpleasant job, and it makes going on a trip so miserable for me. If I could just go and buy clothes and what I need for the trip everywhere we were traveling, that would make the perfect trip. Jeff starts packing usually three to four days before we leave, and I spend those same days complaining about what I should take and how I don’t want to get it out and I am the most terrible packer EVER! More often than not, the night before we leave, I have to bribe Mandi into coming and packing for me…

This past weekend we celebrated Father’s Day. Being a father is one of the greatest joys of my life! I have three wonderful daughters who are very special to me. This past weekend, my youngest daughter, Molly Anne, handed me a small rock that is her prayer rock. She wanted me to have this as my Father’s Day present. I said, “Thank you.” I asked her, “Are you sure you want to give me this? You like it so much.” Molly Anne looked at me, and in the sweetest voice, said, “This is all I have to give you.”  I have been carrying this rock around with me since that moment. It reminds me of her sweet spirit and love.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.

Shepherds spent an incredible amount of time with their sheep. The shepherd’s voice led the sheep to food. Their voice called out for those sheep who had wondered off. It was the shepherd’s voice that kept the flock together so that they would be safe from danger. The shepherds almost never left their flocks, except when they would secure them in pens, often with other flocks of sheep. When the shepherd opened the gate to the pen and called their sheep, their flock would follow. Jesus understood the relationship between a shepherded and the sheep…

Bruce Bochy was the skipper of the San Francisco Giants for the 2012 Major League Season.  Like all baseball seasons, it was a long one.  The Giants played 162 regular season games that year.  They played an additional 16 games in the post season (178 total).  They traveled from coast to coast on multiple occasions.  It was a grueling schedule that took its toll on the team.  By October, the team was tired from the long and difficult season.  Thankfully, they did not run out of gas before they made it to the World Series that year.  Bruce Bochy’s club swept the Detroit Tigers in four games to win their second World Series in three years. This was an accomplishment worthy of celebration!  On October 31st people from all over lined a two-mile parade route to cheer the champions.  Players, coaches, and owners were driven down the parade route in convertible cars so they could celebrate with their fans. It was during this parade that the unexpected happened…

The desire to connect with God can be a deep source of stress in our lives. We struggle to know that God is close. We worry that we are unable to connect because of our own shortcomings. We look for new ways to connect, but the truth is God is with us. In Matthew 11, Jesus encounters the disciples of John the Baptist. It is immediately following John’s arrest. They bring Jesus questions from John, and Jesus praises him. He then sends answers back to John…

Have you ever been awake at night, worried about something that might happen the next day or the next week? Have you ever been exhausted from worry, unable to fully control a situation? Worry is an all-too-common phenomena that causes fear, loss of productivity, and exhaustion, among other things. Jesus understood the pain that worry can cause a person in life…