When We Welcome The Stranger

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

— Matthew 25:35

Questions to Ponder:

Who have you kept at a distance?
What would it look like to welcome them?

Reflection:

Sometimes the stranger is someone we’ve never met.
Sometimes it’s someone who has removed themselves from our lives that we wish hadn’t.
Sometimes it’s someone we’ve known but forgotten.
And sometimes, the stranger is a part of ourselves.

So, what are we to do?

We are to welcome the stranger.
No matter who it is.
No matter when it is.
No matter the reason.

Why?

God invites us to welcome.
Because we are all brothers and sisters.

God made us in His image.
And we ought to love one another.
Friends and strangers alike.

When we welcome the stranger,
We open the door.
We make space.

We say, “You are seen. You are safe. You belong.”

And in doing so, we welcome Christ Himself. Not in grandeur, but in gentleness. Not in certainty, but in love…

One that is of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #Grace #SpiritualJourney #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Open The Door

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock…

— Revelation 3:20

Questions to Ponder:

Have you ever expected a guest to arrive, only for someone else to knock on your door instead?
Or doesn’t arrive at all?
How does that make you feel?

Reflection:

Sometimes we extend an invitation to a special guest.
One that we have been wanting to spend time with.
One that we haven’t seen in a while.
Or someone that we want to get to know better.

We look forward to that appointment.
We anticipate.
We lean into the preparations.
We might even get lost in the excitement.

Then, the doorbell rings.
And no one is there.
Our hearts sink.
We are disappointed.
But what if it were God who knocked?

Would you still feel disappointed?

Christ doesn’t barge in.
He knocks.
He waits.
In the hopes of being welcomed.

And sometimes, we’re too busy.
Too distracted.
Too unsure of what to say.

Sometimes the most important guest is the one we don’t see.
Because they arrive quietly.
Without fanfare.
Without demand.
Without expectations.

This season, may we listen for the knock.
May we open the door.
May we welcome the guest—the One we may not see.

One Who Leads Us to Sacred Belonging.

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#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Wander

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

Even if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me…

— Psalm 139:9–10

Question to Ponder:

Have you wanted to run away from God,
yet still want to be in reach?

Reflection:

Sometimes we wander through life with conflicting purposes.
We think we want one thing, yet we feel steered toward something different.

We wander away from God at times, too.
The days we forget to pray.
Or we don’t have time for a quiet meditation.
Our relationship with God seems to fall off course.
We feel far from God.
Far from others.
And far from ourselves.

Why?

We’re tired.
We’re hurt.
We’re searching for something – we often don’t know what.
It is that sense of belonging we want to get back.

When we are ready, God will be there.
Even when we lose our way…
Follow the light.
It will lead to divine presence.   

One of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Have Doubts

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.

— Mark 9:24

Questions to Ponder:

How do you deal with doubt?
Do you carry them in darkness?

Reflection:

Doubt is something we all feel from time to time.
It sneaks in.
Quietly.
In the middle of the night.
In the middle of a prayer.
In the middle of a conversation.

Doubts often lead to questions.
Sometimes, the more questions we have, the more doubt there is.
Sometimes, we feel paralyzed.
Afraid of what others may think.
Afraid that our doubts might keep us from doing the right thing.
Or worried that God will leave us.

But Scripture tells a different story.
A father cries to Jesus,

“I believe—help my unbelief.”

And Jesus responds with healing.

God accepts the doubting heart.
He meets it.
He holds it.
He helps it believe again.

Faith is not the absence of doubt.
It’s the courage to bring our questions to the One who understands.
To where we belong.
To the place where even doubt is welcome.  

One Where There is Sacred Belonging.

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#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

When We Feel Scattered

A Series of Sacred Belonging

Scripture for Today:

He gathers the lambs in His arms and
carries them close to His heart…

— Isaiah 40:11

Reflection:

Some days, we feel scattered.
Due to demands.
In the workplace and at home.
Too much stress.
Too much on our plates to juggle.
Too much change in a short time.
Disconnection from others.
Or ourselves.
Ambiguous loss or grief.

We may not even know what scattered us.
A conversation that left us uneasy.
An uninvited memory.
A season of time.
Sometimes we just don’t know.
And yet—God gathers.
Because He knows.

He gathers us with tenderness – not force.
With compassion – not shame.
We who may have gone astray.
He gathers us all.
The weary.
The wandering.
The souls who feel they are far too gone.

God carries us.
When we can’t carry ourselves.
You are not forgotten.
You are not too far.
You are not alone.

God scoops us up.
And in His arms, we remember who we are.

One of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

Sacred Belonging

A Series for November

We all long to belong.
Not just to fit in, but to be known.
To be received.
To be held in the quiet spaces of grace.

This series was born from that longing.

It’s for the scattered heart, the questioning soul, the weary caregiver.
It’s for those who have wandered, waited, and wondered.
It’s for those who are seeking.
Those wishing to open the door.

Each reflection is a gentle invitation—
to pause, breathe, and listen.
To create space.
To welcome the stranger.
To receive grace and offer it freely.

You won’t find quick fixes here.
But you will find:
Presence.
A sacred space.
Scripture.
Questions that stir.

Because sacred belonging isn’t earned.
It’s received. It’s the place we were always meant to be.

One of Sacred Belonging.

Image Source: Unknown

#SacredBelonging #Faith #SpiritualJourney #Grace #Thanksgiving #ThankfulHeart #Spirituality

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World – Part 5 : Mountains

Image Credit: Creative Commons: “Color Landscape – Grand Tetons” by fortherock (see below for details)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

The Struggle of the Climb

Life can feel overwhelming at times. Sometimes, it is like climbing a mountain. Days feel overwhelming. We feel exhausted. And we ask ourselves if we will ever reach the top.

Decades ago, I had the opportunity to hike The Tetons. It was a three-day hike. Thirteen miles each day with a heavy backpack. It was overwhelming, for sure! At times, I thought I would die.
I couldn’t take another step.
I was exhausted, and my muscles ached.

At that moment, when I felt I couldn’t take another step, I surrendered to God.
Right there.
Right then.
God placed a song in my heart. And for the rest of the hike, I “sang” Oil in My Lamp (author unknown) in my head.

A Higher Perspective

It was at that moment that my perspective changed. It wasn’t about the struggle. It was the peace that I found in the struggle.

It was the peace in the chaos.

For me, The Tetons was my place of perspective.

Where is your place of perspective?
A place where you can rise above the noise?
Where the chaos fades?
Where do you find a stillness that speaks to you?

Next time, we will lift our eyes to the heavens as we calm the chaos of the mountains in our lives.

Image details: “Color Landscape – Grand Tetons” by fortherock is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

#April #StressAwarenessMonth #Calm #GodsPeace #Nature #Water #Trees #Mountains #Wind #Gardens #Sunlight #Stillness

14 Days of Love: Love Deeply – Day 14

Valentine’s Day is a great reminder of how much God loves us. Call someone you love who you haven’t chatted with in a while. Tell them how much you love them.

Love makes my world go round. How about you?

    Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

    1 Peter 4:8
    Image Source: Generated with AI (Bing)

    Prayer

    God,

    I love you, God! I love how you speak to me when I’m alone with my thoughts. Thank you.

    Let me love and forgive with the grace that You have shown me, each and every day for the rest of my days.

    Amen

    Reflective Question

    What steps can I take to cultivate a more profound sense of love and forgiveness for those around me?

    #ValentinesDay #14DaysofLove #TheBible #Meditation #Spirituality #Love #Forgiveness

    14 Days of Love: Love Endures Forever – Day 13

    Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

    Psalm 136:26
      Image Source: His Love Endures Forevers – Experience Love Instrumental on YouTube

      Prayer

      Lord,

      Thank you for your eternal goodness and kindness.

      Amen

      Reflective Question

      How can I express gratitude for God’s enduring love in my life?

      #14DaysofLove #Love #Meditation #TheBible #Spirituality #ValentinesDay

      14 Days of Love: Love Your Partner – Day 12


      Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

      Ephesians 5:25
      Image Source: tinybudda dot com

      Prayer

      Lord,

      Please help me affirm my partner more and reveal to me how to love more selflessly.

      Amen

      Reflective Question

      What little acts can I do each day to show my partner how much they mean to me?

      #Love #TheBible #Valentine’sDay #Spirituality #Meditation #Relationships #14DaysofLove