Welcome to Friday! (You know, the end of the week that used to signify a break from work and school...now it seems just another day)
As the weather on the prairies improves these last few days, hopefully having seen the end of flecks of snow falling, I am reminded that this season, like all others, will change. This gives me hope. I begin to look for the ways that God has been changing and shifting me the last few weeks. I think about what life will look like a few months down the road. What this blank space on my calendar will mean to me at the end of the year.
Here's a reminder for us to commit to pray for the families and communities in Nova Scotia that are in shock and grieving after a terrible tragedy this week. In the middle of a pandemic when people are already hurting and alone, this adds further distress. Praying for the church to be equipped and strengthened to care for and support those marked with pain and sorrow.
Here are a few articles this week, hope they encourage you this weekend.
In this time of lockdown, I have found it an interesting time to assess my habits and priorities, maybe you have to. Here is a reminder that spiritual disciplines are meant to bring us joy, as they shape us to become more like Jesus someday, they help us to know Him better and give us the strength to serve others.
On the theme of spiritual disciplines, here is an article adapted from Barbara Hughes' book, "The Disciplines of A Godly Woman" encouraging Christian women to pursue habits that bring us into a deeper walk with Jesus with a heart that wants to know Him more, not as a legalistic pursuit.
We may not know all the outcomes of our own learning as the world experiences the virus, but here are a few lessons for all of us, as we remember that God has a purpose for every time and season.
Here's a little snippet of the life of the famous hymn writer Fanny Crosby and how the cholera epidemic affected her life.
An interesting article looking at how the early church's response to infectious illness affected how they were perceived...and what does this mean for the church's response today.
The Good Book Company just published "Where is God in a Coronavirus World?" by John Lennox. The book shows how our Christian worldview can help us make sense of the pandemic, and assure believers of our hope in Christ. This article outlines some discussion questions you can use to engage with others through a virtual book club. Let me know if you would be interested :)
If you are a big Jane Austen fan, and you've exhausted reading her novels, here are some recommendations from Modern MrsDarcy. I've not picked up any of these yet, but added a few to my to-read list.
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