Rev. Martha’s Blog

Good Morning Everyone!

It is good to be home after a wonderful family vacation. Here’s what I discovered (again!): it is a beautiful and amazing world out there! there are wonderful people everywhere you look! family is a gift that should never be taken for granted! and the biggie: God is in it all! Thanks to all of you for carrying on in worship and fellowship while I was away.  A special thanks to Rev. Linda Hessel for filling the pulpit. I know you all were richly blessed from her messages.

1. Tomorrow, June 20, is the first day of summer! And we are going to celebrate this wonderful season by changing up our worship service a little. Our emphasis will be PRAISE!  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!! (Psalm 150:6) There will be more music, more opportunities for fellowship and fun, more learning, and more joy because of who Jesus is! Please feel free to dress casually and to invite friends and family. There will be a time for inviting all those who have called Whitesburg home in the past for a celebration of who we were then and who we are today. 

Hey Y’all!

Sunday IS comin’!!!  And it is no normal Sunday! It’s Mother’s Day….. a day that in its modern form was established by Anna Jarvis in the early 20^th century to honor her mother and other mothers. The first official Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908, and it became a national holiday in 1914. I remember having to go into the yard on Mother’s Day Sunday before church to find red roses (then white when my grandmas passed away.) We always made little gifts at school for our mothers = I can still see this little pottery bowl that sat on the kitchen counter for years. I love you, Mama! Thank you for being my mom.  When I had children, I remember getting those same little bowls myself. I also remember the year Jim thought he would be “cute” so he gave me a broom and dustpan for Mother’s Day. I think there was a bracelet or something in there also! But, you know, today I think I would prefer a really good broom to any bracelet!

Afternoon Everyone!

I am writing this email from Virginia. We are spending some time with our grandson Austin while his mom and dad are away. It’s great having all the grandkids together and filling up the house on holidays, but it is also nice just hanging out with one grandchild at a time.  Austin had his 17^th birthday yesterday – I’m seeing these wonderful qualities in him that I had overlooked when he was just one of the crew. He’s a great cook – very polite and funny. But getting out of the bed in the morning is not his strongest suit. He gets up at a last minute 7:30 and is out of the house by ten ‘til. Amazing!

Our son Joey met April while we lived here in Richmond. So their house is not far from where we lived. It’s so strange going back to a place you have lived before. Things are both new and yet so very familiar. And memories just keep popping up from nowhere around every bend in the road. I expect our lives are the same, don’t you? The wondrous thing about God’s grace is that when the memories are not good, when we have not been who we could have been, we don’t have to hold on to the “we” we were then. God has forgiven us. We have learned and grown and gone on down the road. Every little smidgen of life is a lesson and when we let life teach us, we grow closer and closer to the person Christ is creating.

Afternoon Everyone!

Well, we’ve made it through Holy Week to Good Friday.  We’ve walked with Jesus as he rode into town on a donkey, upset the marketplace in the temple court, cursed a fig tree, argued with the religious leaders, prepared himself for Judas’ betrayal, surprised his disciples with additions to the Passover tradition (experienced by quite a few of us on Thursday night as we washed one another’s feet).

And now it’s Friday. If you were there last night or if you drive by the church you will see the black cloth draping the cross. You will see an empty sign. You will be reminded we are in limbo. Jesus is dead in the tomb. We know what’s coming (Alleluia!), but for now we are pretty much on our own.  All we can do is wait. And that’s what I encourage you to do. Wait by finding quiet moments to really think about the depth of the gift Jesus gave. Wait by remembering that he gave us a mandate to love one another, then he showed us how that love cannot die. Wait by imagining what this world would be like without the gift of Christ.

But know that the waiting will be short. Because Sunday’s comin’! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Good Morning!

Hope you all are well and have had a wonderful week…. especially those of you on Spring Break!  I pray you found ways to relax and reignite and reenergize yourself as you go into the weeks ahead. Thanks to all teachers, school staff, bus drivers and monitors, parents and students for the hard and very good work you are doing to prepare a whole new set of men and women to bring beauty to and to lead this world. It is an awesome responsibility….. and you are appreciated!

This next week is the most sacred week of the Christian year. Called Holy Week, it is a week when the church follows the footsteps of Jesus during his last days before the cross. We move out of our normal routine and move into a shared memory of the reality of what Jesus did for us. I think it is really important to take the time to reflect on this week in the life of Jesus and all that happened. For sure, it makes Easter morning so much more joyful!

Morning Church!

It feels like summer out there! Were it not for the yellow haze, one would think it was June instead of the beginning of April.

But April it is, and Holy Week and Easter are just around the corner. So I wanted to spend a little time making sure we are all up to date on what is happening around the church this month. This is a time of sadness as we face the pain and anguish of the cross with Jesus. But it is also a time of great, great joy as we shout alleluia on Easter morning! We want to make sure that we pay attention to it all.

Afternoon Everyone!

So today is the day Jim is retiring! As I write this I am waiting for him to get home. I’m guessing they gave him a party. I can imagine him laughing and loving being the center of attention!  He turned in the “state truck” this morning, so his boss is driving him here from Montgomery. It is a good day. We are going to have salmon for supper then walk up to the jazz concert in town. I don’t know if he has seen it or not, but someone put a “Happy Retirement” sign on our front porch either last night or this morning. That was nice. It may have been our next door neighbor.  Or maybe not. So thank you if it was you!

Tomorrow will come. And we will begin this new segment of our lives together. We are not sure what it will bring. A little less money to spend. A little more time together. A little more attention paid on those things that need to be taken care of when one gets “to this stage of life.” Plans, you know. Talks with the kids.

Good Morning!

For the last week or so there has been a little blue car parked in the library parking lot directly across from our kitchen window. As we stand at the sink washing dishes, we see it, arriving early in the morning and remaining until dark. There is a woman who sits inside. We aren’t sure, but we assume she is homeless, using her car as a refuge and safe space. Jim said this morning that he has been thinking maybe he should go over and knock on her window to see if we can help. Maybe we can offer her something. Some little something. But what can we do against this huge problem of unhoused people in our country? And it is huge. We see homeless people every day whether we realize it or not. Many carry on their lives – work at minimum wage, send the kids to school, and at night sleeping on the couch of a friend or family member. Or in a dirty motel. Or in a car.

Good Friday Morning Everyone!

I watched the movie “A Complete Unknown” the other night. I really enjoyed it! It was one of the movies nominated for an Oscar this year (didn’t win) and is the story of the early career of Bob Dylan. I have always loved his music. Maybe one of his most famous songs is The Times They Are A-Changin’. Hidden in the lyrics is this: The battle outside ragin’ will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. For the times they are a-changin’.

Good Saturday Morning!

This last week my daughter in law posted some wonderful news on our family text thread. She told us that our granddaughter who is a sophomore and has been accepted and will start her college courses this fall. Two emotions came over me at the very same time: Oh, my gracious! That is wonderful! I am so proud of her!  And……..  Oh, my gracious! How can this be? She is the baby. The youngest grandchild. Wasn’t it just a year or two since she was born?????  So I have been living this week in this dual reality. Life is good and the future is bright.  And……..  life is fragile….. it flows on – it waits for no one. Even baby girls grow up and begin their way on this earth.  And grandmas gracefully grow older and find our way to the end.

Lent is a really good time to ponder on things such as these. We gathered for what I hope was a meaningful Ash Wednesday service this last week to begin this 40 day season of Lent. Lent is the time we make ourselves stop and think about our lives. We ask God to wipe away our sins, to create in us clean hearts, to remind us to stop creating treasures for ourselves, but to become more generous and caring toward others. During these 40 days, we walk toward the cross with Jesus. And we remember his suffering in the midst of his love for us.

Afternoon Everyone!

I just wanted to remind you that Sunday is coming! And the family has saved you a place! If you have not attended for the last few weeks, we sure have missed you! It’s never the same when we are not together – every one of us!  Sunday might be the perfect time to come back. It is Transfiguration Sunday ……. and we all get to ponder together the mystery of Jesus on the mountaintop shining like lightening (Luke 9:28-43).  And we will ask the question, does this kind of lightening thing still happen? And, if so, has it happened to us????? You might be surprised!

Good Morning Whitesburg UMC!

My feet are cold this morning! And when your feet are cold, there’s not much you can do for the rest of you! Everything is cold!!!!   So, I am thinking today about all those people who have to be outside working in this cold weather. People like construction workers and roofers and dog catchers and the guys that have to stand in the same spot all day turning the STOP!/SLOW! signs around for us as we travel in our warm cars. People like the Carroll EMC guys who got your power back on last Sunday.  When you read this, say a little prayer for them. Pray for their families and their safety. Pray they have on two pairs of socks. And make sure you thank God for them and all the others who face the discomfort of weather to make our world keep turning.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

I hope this has been a good day for all of you and that you are enjoying being together with your Valentine or that you are holding the sweet memories of Valentines past in your hearts. Jim and I actually both forgot…… but we made up for it by spending the day together traveling around two really neat towns in Alabama called Albertville and Boaz. He had one inspection to do at the Piggly Wiggly and after he got finished, he came out with 2 chocolate candy bars he had bought from a little girl selling for a fund raiser. We enjoyed our Valentine candy together. It was delicious!  But mostly we just enjoyed being together. Caring about each other. Loving one another.

Hey Everybody!

I am so glad it is Friday. I am glad because that means this week is finally over. I have been sick all week. I’ve had this naggy sinus infection. Yuck! I hate sinus infections! What a pain!!! You know what it feels like, don’t you? Your brain keeps telling you to get up; to clean the kitchen, to do a load of laundry, to go for a walk, to go to the store, to go……. And that is the problem: in order to go you have to get up off the couch or out of the bed. And when you are sick, getting up is a big deal. Your brain says yes. Your body says no.

Good Friday Evening!

Hope you are all well on this rainy evening. I rode with Jim to his inspections in Alabama today, and I was sleepy and generally glum all day until the sun came out just a mile or two before we got home. It’s amazing how the sunlight can affect our spirits. Sometimes that light comes from the actual sun, as was the case with me today. But just as often, light can come from within. We stopped at a restaurant for a late lunch. After sloshing through the parking lot them sparring with the hostess over table or booth, we just sat there like old married people…… looking at each other. I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling we looked pretty pitiful. But our waitress came and brought with her such a lovely, authentically real smile that we both had to smile too. And by the time we left, we were 100% brighter!! That young woman was the real deal. She had a gift – the Bible refers to it as the gift of mercy. The special ability that God gives some to feel genuine empathy and compassion for others. She was kind and seemed to sense that we needed to be a little pampered – a little loved.  I pray she continues to use her gift of mercy throughout her life. Especially in these days, the world needs mercy and kindness more than ever.

Afternoon!

Wow! January isn’t even over yet, but what a year it has already been! The biggest fires we have ever encountered in the US have destroyed acre after acre and home after home in California. President Jimmy Carter, who lived to be 100 years old passed away and was put to rest with a heartwarming and sincere remembrance of his life as one who chose love and simple service over power. Israel and Palestine have come closer to a semblance of peace than at any other time in this latest standoff. We have said goodbye to president # 46 and welcomed in #47. And it was a welcome of inaugural festivities, dinners, balls, glamor, wealth, controversial prayer services, and lots of general settling in amidst apprehension for some and jubilation for others. These are times in our country of deep change and division…….  maybe even fear.  On the one hand, we don’t know what to expect from the new leadership from one day to the next.

Good Morning!

As I get ready to write this, I am looking at a pile of books on my desk. These books are all about spiritual gifts and I am using them to get ready for a new study that will take place during the month of February. It’s a lot of work to get ready for something like this. And it is a big obligation for you to sign up for it, as some of you have already done. I would love to see a huge class as we learn together. But it dawned on me that if I want you to learn more about these gifts, I need to give you a little preview – like a trailer for a movie or that little taste of ice cream they let you have before you make your final decision.  So, here is a little bit of why I hope you will join the class – a little bit about what spiritual gifts are all about and why we should even care:

Except for the lesson that our dog Cissy taught me. I guess she’s not too familiar with snow, because when I opened the door for her to go out early this morning, she looked out at all that white stuff and just looked up and me and said, “are you crazy?? I’m not going out there!” And she cowered down and backed away from the door back to her bed.  So, one hour passed and two and three and four and it was noon. Now, she is a stubborn little dog, but there comes a time when something must give. So, I put on my shoes and my coat and my earmuffs and opened the door and went out. She was watching me crunch around in the snow and soon stuck one paw out to get a feel for things. Once she was completely out, this surprised look came on her face, and I could see all her fears melting away. She started out by marching a few steps, looking around………. and then that gave way to four rip roaring dog races around the back yard. Before it was over, she was frolicking and loving every minute of the snow.

Good Afternoon!

I hope you are all well and enjoying the beauty that is Christmas. Today (December 26) the church puts Advent behind and begins the season of Christmas (which will last until January 6). This season is called the Epiphany of the Lord, and it is the time we recognize the importance of the coming of the Magi to the Christ and along with it the sharing of the good news of the birth with gentiles all over the world. Epiphany will last all the way through March 2, which is Transfiguration Sunday leading to the beginning of Lent. I look forward to it all as we experience together our own journey with the Messiah.

During this time, I will be offering a very special 4-week class that will enable us to learn about spiritual gifts. We will end by actually taking a spiritual gifts self guided questionnaire to help you identify your own unique God-given gifts. I was thinking we might could do it as a bag lunch class after church. Think about it and we can decide together. I am really looking forward to this! Believe it or not, recognizing and growing your spiritual gifts can be life changing!

Good Morning!

I was 12 years old the year I saw my mother at midnight on a cold, cold Christmas Eve all wrapped up in her sweater and scarf over her pajamas unloading something from the trunk of her car. My mother’s usual bedtime was 8PM. I was old enough to know something was up. And up until then, I believed with every ounce of my being that it was Santa who brought all those wonderful gifts my sister and I always found on Christmas morning. I didn’t know HOW he did it……I just believed he did! It was magic!

Realizing the gifts came from the trunk of Mother’s car rather than a sleigh pulled by reindeer was a terrible yet a wonderful time for me.  Terrible in that I had to let go of a little bit of childhood magic and that was hard. But wonderful in that I saw in a more grown up way the love my mother had for me, the sacrifice she and my dad must have made to afford all those sweet gifts under the tree and all those stockings stuffed with goodies.