01/03/2020
Roundabouts are a way of Life…at least in Carmel, IN
In Carmel, a frequent topic of conversation is roundabouts and certainly most everyone has an opinion. I will admit that I have always looked forward to every new one being completed. I will actually plan my route from here to there thinking about where there are roundabouts.
Maybe roundabouts can help us think about our lives for the new year (can you believe it is going to be 2020?!)
Entering a roundabout…
-Some approach with a watchful eye and carefully judge when to enter the roundabout safely.
-Some see the entry stage as a challenge and aggressively enter the roundabout dashing in and barely missing contact with another car.
-Some actually STOP even though there is not a single car in the roundabout just because they are not sure or they simply prefer a stop sign.
Entering 2020...How will you approach the New Year? With a plan and goals? Just barrel right into the year with no thought or planning? Or will you actually stop and perhaps spend time reflecting and praying about God’s will for your year?
********************************************************************************
Exiting a roundabout…
-Some enjoy the ride on the merry-go-round so they go round and round not really getting anywhere.
-Some miss their exit and have to try again
-Some simply exit at the right place and the right time.
Entering 2020...How will you spend the New Year? Living life just as it comes with no purpose or direction? Will you have times of mistake and need to start over again? Will you frequently review your goals and vision and see accomplishment during the year?
Most importantly...look to the center of the roundabouts at least here in Carmel. Yes, those monuments can also say something to us. Those monuments are large and built to stay in place. Remember as you navigate your year that we have a God who is large and will stay with you wherever you go in 2020!!
Navigate 2020 with God in the center of life!!! Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.
Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!
I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon. No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut. No theological insights that slowed down the main point. No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it. So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.