“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 Sometimes we struggle and struggle, and it seems that we aren’t making any headway. We work so hard to do the right thing—to read our Bible, to follow the Golden Rule, to practice integrity—but our lives yet appear barren. We want to be …
Perseverance
Tragedy at Smith Mountain Lake (Rev. Larry Davies)
Smith Mountain Lake, near the Blue Ridge Mountains, is on the southwest corner of the Lynchburg District of the United Methodist Church, my district. At least ten churches large and small from our district are part of the Smith Mountain Lake community. Danville and Roanoke Districts also have …
Fred Brown and Cooking (Rev. Larry Davies)
Just before graduating high school, I secured a summer job at a local hotel to work in maintenance, which meant, I cut grass. But two days before school ended, the hotel decided to hire someone else. I went home upset, almost in tears and swore: “I’m going job-hunting and not coming back until I get …
Timeless Truth: Find the Light in the Midst of Darkness (Brett Beeson)
We live in a harsh world. I open up al-Jazeera or BBC News, and the headlines report a terrorist attack on tourists in Tunisia, deadly assaults in Syria, and the rising victim count from a plane crash in Indonesia. CNN headlines are hardly any better. They tell us of a killer taking a selfie with …
What Career Advice Would You Give a Recent College Graduate? – Part 1
I’m curious. If you were going to give career advice to a 22-year-old fresh-out-of-college graduate, what would you say? Settle for nothing less than something you’re passionate about? Put at least 10% of your earnings into savings? Don’t sweat too much over your first job? TheLadders, a …
Look Behind You! (Rev. Larry Davies)
Have you ever experienced one of those days when nothing goes right? The boss is giving you those (I can’t believe you work for me!) looks! Your kids are whining, dogs are barking, the phone is ringing, your head is clanging. Your home looks like ground zero of a recent bomb blast. Your …
When Trouble Comes (Jennifer Miller, LPC)
Do good things and good things come to you. Sounds like a simple enough equation. However, we all know that life is anything but simple. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. The sun shines and the rain falls on us all regardless of our moral standing. Being a …