We Miss You!

We miss seeing you. We miss being together. Even as we continue to deliver the message of Jesus and the mission of God’s kingdom in our services in new ways, with expanded influence, Sundays are hard for us. Almost every Sunday afternoon, I find myself met with a void within, wondering how the flock is and when we will be together again. So, we continue to pray for a merciful end to this devastating pandemic and we continue to walk wisely and circumspectly seeking to redeem the time in these dark and evil days.

Fill your life with God’s Holy Word. I want to encourage you to continue to draw near to the LORD through His eternal Word, His enduring hope. During the lockdown I got a new Bible, the New Living Translation (NLT). It has strengthened and encouraged my heart.

Draw near to Him in worship. Scripture tells us that we can exchange a spirit of heaviness for a garment of praise. We also can pray this prayer of David, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher” (Psalm 61:2). Entering into His presence always brings peace and changes our perspective.

Connect with others. Through this pandemic I have watched the LORD bring new prayer partners. I have also been able to reconnect with old friends. My Mom, sister and I have been FaceTiming regularly. Since my Mom is at risk, we celebrated her 83rd birthday this week via ZOOM with extended family from Illinois, Santa Clarita, and Santa Barbara. It was fun and she was blessed.

These regular times with my mom and sister have served as a Holy Spirit instruction and reminder that we can connect and grow even while separated physically. God makes it is possible so that nothing of our faith and fellowship needs to be interrupted, fragmented, or limited. We can experience joy and fruit together even today!

Father, thank You for an outpouring of Your Holy Spirit to refresh us and help us. Thank You, Jesus, You are still the Way, the Truth and the Life, even in these difficult days!