Thursday, May 7, is the yearly National Day of Prayer; a day set aside every year in the United States when people of every faith belief are asked to join together to pray in their own way. We, as Christians, turn our hearts to God and raise our voices to the One we know as Creator, Redeemer, and...

I believe that every follower of Jesus Christ has an innate desire to pray, to communicate with one’s Heavenly Father as a child wants to talk to his or her parent. And it’s reasonable to think that every disciple would discover or develop a sincere delight in prayer, a joy found in expressing gr...

Some days the weight of our global circumstances as a result of Covid-19 is heavier than others. If I linger too long, anxiety begins to build and the things over which I have no control begin to take root in my heart and mind. I am concerned about the well-being of my family, friends, and each o...

All religions of the world have one thing in common: they all willingly and enthusiastically engage and promote the ritual and practice of prayer. While prayer is common, it is also seemingly elusive and mysterious to many of us in the Christian faith. Many are suffering from silent disillusionm...

Last spring, I searched through the serving opportunities posted on the church website. There were several that met my skill set, availability, and interests. Pray in the church’s prayer tower for an hour each week? Count me in! Write encouraging notes to be placed in the pocket of clothing dona...

After hours of laboring without success and Max’s heart rate dropping, I was rushed into an operating room for a cesarean delivery. As they rolled me into the OR and prepped me for surgery, I remember being terrified. There was a small army of doctors and nurses hurriedly buzzing around, machines...

I went to Trader Joe’s on Friday. The fully stocked shelves of peanut butter pretzels, everything bagel dip, and cookie butter, along with the friendly guys in hula shirts made me think for a moment that we aren’t in the middle of a global crisis. It was the highlight of my week. We’ve been care...

This Easter, we weren’t in the same physical place, but Highland Park United Methodist Church still celebrated Christ’s resurrection together. Rev. Matt Tuggle began Easter Sunday with a special sunrise service from Parkland Hospital on Facebook Live. “The opportunity to worship with our frontlin...

Once upon a time, I wrote TV ads for Corona — the beer, not the virus. But that tagline may still apply. Corona. “Change your whole latitude.” I’m a wife, a mother, a writer, and an obsessive over-planner. I plan hours, weeks, years, and decades into the future. If I’m honest, I know I waste mu...

While the rest of the church remained quiet from the shelter in place order, the industrial kitchen at Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) was bright and full of life. A half-dozen workers busily made sandwiches and placed them in the long rows of paper bags. In all, 1,200 meals were p...