There are moments in our lives that seem so surreal that its difficult to get a footing, sometimes it seems that the situation has us. Or does it? The past few weeks have been difficult for so many, especially when you factor in the trials that many of us have already been dealing with.

Last month I took a trip to New York, where I stood at my mom’s grave looking for a connection. I have lost people before, but not like this. Ever since she passed, I feel like I lost my connection to this world. But I power through, put that smile on and take a step forward until another wave hits and it’s more difficult to smile.

And the next one hit, my daughter Bella who has cerebral palsy was finally walking independently and then a big  growth spurt hit. Now standing has now become difficult for her. But once again I put that smile on and march forward. Then, this pandemic hits. We are seeing so many people become ill as well as an economic melt down. Everything is in flux. My employer, a governmental agency of 900 was moved to telework. This has never been done before. I should be thankful I have a job, but I am overwhelmed trying to make sure that the employees that report to me have the ability to work from home. 

All of these layers add up and my heart aches….. my faith is tested…….

Where are you God? 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Funny, the path seems far from straight when I look ahead. But when I look over my shoulder, what appeared to be a mess was really a straight path. So I kind of get it, but for some reason my heart still aches. So I continue to search for answers….

Ephesians 3:17-19 So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of  God.

So for now the entire routine of life is halted, and there are no answers of where life is headed.  But I am slowly finding my way by reminding myself of who God is and what we mean to Him. I guess God is also reminding me of where my priorities should be: spending more time with my family, going for walks & bike riding  with my kids and family dinners.

If there is anything to gain here, it is the appreciation for the time I have to pray, to worship and to read; and most of all gaining a new appreciation for our church family, Fellowship. I sure miss the people who I don't get to see right now.

In all if this I am encouraged by one of my all time favorite verses in the bible - 

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

God bless, may the Lord be with each and every one of you.

GUEST BLOGGER: Kevin Wilhelm

I'm blessed to be a person easily inspired.  Even more so in the last few weeks.  I believe with my whole heart that God sees the best in us and so we should see the potential in others to be their best,  He loves us unconditionally and we are commanded to do the same.  

1 John 4:7 Dear friends,let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.  Anyone who loves God is a child of God and knows God.

I have been so inspired by how many people are stepping up to serve their brothers and sisters in need.  People from all walks of life,  Community leaders, youth, neighbors, believers and many others are showing who Christ is and bringing glory to His name,  My job (United Way) has allowed me the opportunity to be a first hand witness to so many people taking action to show love in very tangible ways.  

I'm doubling down on God.  He is our rock.  He is never changing, always loving.  He is our true source of inspiration always.  There is no better time than right now to bring out our ‘His best’ by bringing our best.   Be the inspiration by tapping into the Holy Spirit, Christ within us.  He has prepared each of us for this exact moment. Point people toward Him and inspire others who may never have sought Him before. We can seize on the opportunity to strengthen our faith in Jesus and to bring others to Jesus.

1 Peter 4:10  God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts,  Use them well to serve one another.

Let's use our gifts to be the inspiration needed now more than ever.  

Guest Blogger

If you have watched the news or followed social media as we self-quarantine I’m sure you have heard or seen the phrase “The New Normal”. But is this our new normal? I think not. As with all things in life “this too shall pass”. We are in a new season but this is not our new normal. Life is cyclical. There have been plagues, diseases, pandemics throughout the ages and humankind has survived. This is because God is ALWAYS in control and he uses everything to try to turn people back to Him. For those of us who are Christians, our “New Normal” began the day we started a relationship with Jesus Christ. Our new normal is and always will be to know God more and more as we go through these new seasons of life.  

How do we do this?

1. We humble ourselves before Him.

James 4:6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud  but gives grace to the humble.”

2. Pray with humility

2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

3. Pray without ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Never stop praying.

4. Seek His Kingdom above all else

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

5. Study God’s Word

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Let us not worry about the world’s new normal, let’s work on our new normal so God can use us in this pandemic to turn people to him.

Can you imagine someone telling you back in February all that will happen in March?

My kids have used the term ‘Coronacation’. It came with a smiley face and a sad face.

• A smiley face for not having to go to school.

• A sad face for not being able to see their friends.

• A smiley face for waking up later.

• A sad face for still having to wake up (online classes).

• A happy face for time with family.

• A sad face for time with family. 

I look at this and see so many scenarios:

• For many of us (not all), we have this new access of time. We are no longer having to pick up the kids from school and other activities. Many of us are not commuting to work as some can work at home now. Many of us are having more family time. We are having dinner together, playing games, watching movies. These are all great things! I need to remind myself daily to take advantage of this time. I need to pray more often, read God's Word more, call friends and family more, and play more games with the family. Who knows how long this will last and if we’ll ever get this opportunity again?

• For others, it's business as usual. You still have to go to work. Every day is a bit nerve-racking.  I think of my brother Bill who works at a grocery store. He’s busier than ever and is putting himself at risk daily. I think of my brother Rob who is in the banking industry. He manages a bank where he has to be there 40 plus hours a week. I think of all the doctors and nurses, the truck drivers, etc., My heart goes out to each of you. Thank you for pushing on. You are in our prayers. 

• Lastly, for others....You have lost your job.  You were laid off. You own a business that you have no idea how it can get through this. There is uncertainty ahead. You're not sure how this all ends. 

For all of us, God is teaching. We will learn valuable lessons here. This will not be wasted. We will one day look back and see all He did when things looked really bleak. 

One day soon we will all be back at it, the norm. I hope and pray our norm involves more of God and more of people. We are so much better together. 

I completely miss my church family….immensely. I so look forward to Sunday and the many conversations I get into. I miss our serving teams who arrive earlier than anyone else. I miss the energy. I miss the face to face, the hugs……that word now seems so forbidden!

I didn’t know what to expect last Sunday when for the first time ever, we had an online experience only. It was amazing! I loved the energy during the countdown as we could see people ‘entering’ the virtual experience. Others were welcoming them, saying “good morning” and “hello”. People commented during the message and no one said “shhhh!”. There was encouragement and great thoughts. I loved the selfies! People drinking their coffee sitting with their whole family. Others in their pajamas (not judging…..why not?). In fact, it went so well, I worry about people coming back to the building where pajamas may not be the norm. 

The church is not a building, it’s the people. We are still the church because of all of you. Thank you for continuing your engagement. We truly miss all of you but are consistently praying for each of you. 

 Love you!

One day we will look back at this time and see its significance. Whether you want to believe people are overreacting or not reacting enough is irrelevant. What is relevant to me is what we do in this crucial time. We’ve seen how some react – grabbing as much toilet paper and hand sanitizer as possible and we’ve seen how others react – grocery shopping for the elderly neighbor. Who were you closer to in your reaction?

It’s fascinating to see the lure of ‘taking care of ourselves first’. I get it. It’s a natural reaction. It’s why so many of us feel as though we can still go out in public even when they state the importance of not being with people – social distancing. Yes, we may be young and healthy enough to be ok but when we are unknowingly a carrier and go about our business, it seems a bit selfish. 

Some years ago we had a huge ice storm here in Ct. where many of us were stuck at home. I remember the initial reaction. My kids were very young and to think of 24 hours straight with them being a bit needy back then, I was a bit nervous. My wife’s step father was dying. He had stage 4-cancer and was given weeks to live. Based on my wife’s grandparents being the only ones with electricity, we all stayed there.  I look back at those moments and thank God for this precious time. It’s as if He designated it. Board games, incredible conversations and family dinners together. Incredible memories.

 We are now in similar times. A lot of unknown. 

How long will we be sequestered? 

How long will we be uncertain? 

How long will we be stuck in our homes? 

No one really knows. But I do know this: God knows and I’m going to lean on that. I know this is not a surprise to Him. I know we have some big choices to make in these next couple of weeks or months. We can go with the world and panic or we can go with God and stay calm. We can go with the world and hoard all we can or we can follow Jesus’ teaching and give. One direction comes with temporary gratification, the other comes with eternal peace from God Himself. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
 and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

We all need to hold on to this verse throughout this time of unknown. He is our hope. He will steer us through. In a time of our life where many of us had no choice but to slow down, He will comfort us. In a time where we find ourselves with so much extra time, let’s use that time to spend time with the One who controls time and has all the answers. Tongue twister there.
 

Do you feel as though you’re leaning on God right now?

Do you feel as though God is still in control?

Are you living your life today as if He is? 

We have never gone down this road before. It is unheard of. So many questions. Are we overreacting or not reacting enough? I’ve talked to both ‘camps’. 

• Disney closed.

• NHL, NBA, MLB and all major sports shut down.

• Broadway closed.

• Schools closed.

• Restaurants and bars closed.

• Casinos and gyms closed. 

• Even church….closed.

Fascinating times and scary times. 

There is so much to talk about. 

My faith

For those of you reading this that would call yourself a Christian, I imagine you thought along with me of where exactly our faith is. If I call myself a Christian and really believe all God has to say through His Word found in the Bible, how can I even worry and stress? 

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. 

Romans 8:39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

When it all looks bleak, I have to live out my faith and believe He is still in control, because He is. If my faith is not where it’s supposed to be, I’ll know it in the next month or so! Trust Him, lean on Him and pray to Him. He will show you He’s here and He’s very aware of all that’s going on. 

Many of us are ‘stuck’ at home more than ever. It sure feels as though God has given us more opportunity to spend time with Him and with family. Let’s not regret where we put this previously ‘un-existing’ time. Some of you have been praying for relationships inside your home, here’s your chance. God has given you an avenue. 

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

We are told not to get together with others. We need to follow that. I am not at all afraid of getting this virus. I am far more worried about being a carrier and relaying this to someone with a preexisting health risk or someone older. I can do what I can do. 

Lastly, times like these come with opportunities. 

It’s in times like these where we have the best opportunities to live out our faith and to help those in need. I plead with each of you reading this to make yourself available to others. As we go into weeks of being isolated, I pray you each seek out people to give a phone call to and have actual conversations. Having less people around us makes having less people around us easier and that’s dangerous. We are not good in isolation. We are to be intentional and purposeful in interacting with others even if it is only by phone. 

This is a time where daily family dinners will resume once again, the board game will return and the phone call will come back. Take advantage. You’ll never regret it. 

 Psalm 46:10 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 

GUEST BLOGGER: Patrick Ringrose

The Climb, Up and to the Right, is how Fellowship Church illustrates the spiritual journey of following Christ Jesus. It’s a representation of a graph ascending from lower left to upper right; the spiritual ascent of following Jesus - leaving the human consciousness in the lower places and journeying ever higher towards our God and Creator, through a relationship with His Son, the Lord Christ. However, in life, in faith and in business, it’s never a smooth, straight line; there are peaks and valleys. Yet the goal is to keep the line pushing ever higher. 

 There is a storm in Matthew, Chapter 8.  Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat when a furious storm suddenly arises. The apostles, although highly experienced sailors/commercial fishermen, are terrified and wake up Jesus to save them. When life’s storms appear, I have always tried to face them by manning the helm and trying to adjust the sails. I always felt the need to take action. But in trying to do works to ‘earn’ my relationship with Jesus, I have missed an incredibly important, subtle point. 

 There are sisters; Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, when Jesus is a guest in their home. Martha feels that she has to do a flurry of things to be a good servant to the Lord; Mary simply chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet and absorb His Word. Jesus tells Martha that Mary has made the better choice. 

 So, in the middle of the storm, I can take my hands off of the sails and the helm and go be with Jesus. When this first dawned on me I wasn’t in a great place emotionally, and have to admit there was a moment of ‘to hell with it; if He’s not going to worry, why should I?’ After a few moments of reflection, I realized that this was the wrong attitude (brilliant, huh?). What is needed is to adopt the attitude of Mary and go be in the Lord’s presence. To go, like a child, to where He is sleeping, lay my head upon his breast and listen to the beating of his heart in the midst of the tempest.

 The storm surprised me, but it wasn’t a surprise to Him. He is there in the boat with us - after all, getting into the boat and crossing the lake was His idea in the first place. Instead of trying to do and control everything (Martha), I need to let go, move closer to Him, and let God (Mary).

This brings me back to Up & to the Right. On the trek up this mountain, this walk of faith, it’s important to stop and rest from time to time. To rest, recuperate and recharge the batteries. We’ll need the strength as the angle becomes steeper and the air becomes thinner. 

Mary knew the answer. Unplug from the busyness and plunge into His Holiness today!