Habits
Lisa Schnedler
They Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes

Each year, I listen to a daily audio Bible podcast—and complete the Bible in one year. This year marks my sixth year through the Bible.

Why don’t I stop?

Every year, I learn new aspects of the Bible because each year, I am in a different place in my life, and the Holy Spirit speaks to me where I am.

The Bible is always fresh! It is always alive!

It is the only book that has a Living Spirit within it.

Each year, when I get to Judges in the Old Testament, I say, “Oh boy!” because I know what is ahead.

They Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes
Lisa Schnedler
What Passover Means to Christians

Passover begins this evening.

It is one of the most significant Jewish Holidays, commemorating when the angels of God “passed over” the Hebrews as the firstborn children and animals of the Egyptians were killed—all because Pharoah would not set the Hebrews free as God commanded.

With this final plague on Egypt, Pharoah agreed to free the Hebrews so they might begin their journey to the promised land.

God instructed the Jews to commemorate the first Passover, when they had marked their houses with blood, alerting the angels to “pass over” their homes.

Christians draw parallels in their faith,

What Passover Means to Christians
New/Renew
Lisa Schnedler
The Days After Easter...

This week, I was listening to a minister on the radio who noted that in the days after His resurrection, Jesus did not appear to Pilate to tell him that he had been wrong in ordering His crucifixion.

Jesus did not appear to the Jewish leaders and chastise them for not believing and demanding His death.

He did not appear to the Roman soldiers who nailed Him on the cross.

Why?

The Days After Easter...
Lisa Schnedler
Holy Week

Today, I was drinking in the beautiful hymns of Psalm Sunday. They are majestic, powerful, and inspirational!

Among my very favorites is All Glory, Laud and Honor. When I close my eyes and listen to the lyrics, I can feel all the emotions I imagine those present at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The hope. The joy. The expectation.

As Christians, we carry the hope, joy, and expectation at our Lord’s second coming. Feel this excitement. Play this song and sing along. It is a wonderful way to enter into the spirit of Holy Week.

What are some of your favorite Holy Week Hymns/ song?

Holy Week
New/Renew
Lisa Schnedler
An Irish Blessing

My mother is Irish—which makes me Irish as well!

One of my favorite blessings is The Irish Blessing, which is a favorite benediction of my forefathers—and so appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day!

It is a great blessing for everyone—even if you aren’t Irish!

An Irish Blessing

Habits

The Cure for Anxiety

The Cure for Anxiety

One blessing that the pandemic brought to my life was the desire to listen to sermons from churches all across the country. I now have a list of church services I listen to—in addition to the local church I hope to attend again soon.

A particularly dynamic minister is Tim Dilena of Time Square Church in New York City. Recently, he preached a message on how to overcome anxiety, and there were points he made that I thought were profoundly simple, particularly memorable, and spot-on.

Recent surveys reveal that one in three Americans is experiencing anxiety. This number has skyrocketed under the stresses of the pandemic. Joblessness. Loneliness. Fear. These all feed anxiety. And, anxiety destroys joy.

Focusing on the Good Plans of God

Focusing on the Good Plans of God

When I think of the book of Ecclesiastes, I think of the depressing perspective Solomon has on life—that it is fleeting (a mist, a vapor, grass) and that our work and all we do is really in vain because life ends and it is all gone. Depressing.

But tonight, in reading Ecclesiastes 3, I realized that Solomon really does see both a good side and a rather bleak side of life:

The Habit of Hope! A Minister in London During World War II Speaks to Us Today...

The Habit of Hope! A Minister in London During World War II Speaks to Us Today...

I want to share the greater portion of a sermon I found particularly meaningful in light of the pandemic, loss of jobs, and a general malaise that seems to have fallen across the globe.

The sermon is entitled, “When Hope Is Dead, Hope On!” It was authored by W. E. Sangster, a Methodist minister in London during World War II. The message was first preached during a particularly difficult time for the British people. According to Preaching.com. “His sermons were regularly halted by bombings in the city. Sometimes he preached through them, telling hearers, "Those of a nervous disposition may leave now." During the five years of German bombing, Sangster virtually lived in the great bomb shelter below the church building.” He died in 1960. His sermon on hope follows: