Sometimes we take our faith walk so seriously. We can worry lots at times about whether we are good enough or wonder if we are doing the right things to please God. Or we are certain there is no way to return to God, much less have him accept us. Yes, we express joy and give our praises but do we laugh our joy back into God and His creation? Can others can feel the vitality of our own God-enriched lives vibrating with an impulsive compulsive beat which can’t help but draw others in, hopefully, with them laughing too. 

I hadn’t given this much thought until I came across something this morning which just amused me greatly and made me laugh out loud at times. In the middle of looking at these finalist photos I was reminded that God does indeed have a sense of humor – Pastor Joel reminds us of this rather often in his sermons. Here it was on display for me today in somewhat silly ways. I still chuckle at the memory of some of the pics. 

God must have the best sense of humor – I know at times we can’t see humor in anything. We even think that our faith must be serious at all times. This just can’t always be so! There is always preparation being made on God’s part for a joyous return if we happen to find ourselves lost on the journey. I needed a reminder and I got it today. 

Lighten up, the message said. If God allowed for these moments of humor in creation, then we really shouldn’t be taking ourselves so seriously. After all, we are His creation. I’m not joking.  

Look at these pics and throw back your head and laugh. We can laugh at ourselves sometimes and I have no doubt it might just improve our faith lives! God might even be pleased to watch us in the act of enjoying being simply a child of God. It doesn’t always have to be complicated. 

Some things are still simple and funny. Respond to these and feel your heart lift. 

For God is near. Laughing. 

Now. Laugh!

~Shauna Weil 

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

YAHWEH

In Hebrew it is YHWH. 

Scholars say it sounds like breathing in and breathing out. So with our very first breath we say the name of God. Interesting, isn’t it?

Funny, those who don’t believe in God, have to say His name to even tell us why they don’t believe in God. 

The Hebrew alphabet only had consonants. Breath flow in Yah- and breath flow out -weh: nothing causes us to hinder our breath or hinder God’s presence. 

I find it fascinating that we can always be focused and calling God’s name. We have talked about breathing being a good way to calm ourselves and to be mindful of the one who made us. But, in reality, God had already prepared us for this life with Him. I can think of nothing more beautiful. 

Breathe your way through your day, knowing just how near you are actually keeping your God. 

God is as close as your very next breath itself. 

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

As we breathe our ‘Yahweh’ breaths, let this song give you courage to allow Him to love you as you are in this moment. Even if you hold shame or doubt about yourself. Talk from your soul openly in companionship with your maker: God. God’s grace alone can wipe away our stains. Don’t let your own thoughts confuse you or help you to believe untrue things. They must be untrue for God was in you from your very first breath – stay close. God is good. All the time. 

This cartoon came to me via Barb Maki as we sat bedside to Chuck Maki at the hospital – loving him and praying for God to work in a loving way in his body as he and Barb deal with his advanced Parkinson’s. The message from the swine with one ear always up for listening is that we all want to be loved and it shouldn’t be a secret! How silly to keep love a secret or even more, to withhold it from our fellow humans. Those of us who follow God and Jesus Christ our Savior should know that we are constant recipients of the greatest LOVE without merit. Is that just a gift to us? Yes it is. But the message that comes along with it and is shared by Jesus as the greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment  (See Matthew 22:36-40, hopping on to biblegateway.com is a really easy way to find this passage on your phone) is that we should also give that love freely to others no matter the situation or condition. 

If there are no conditions that wipe us away from God’s love then there are no conditions available for us to put upon all the rest of the world we are called to love. We are to love others as we love ourselves. If you don’t love yourself then you can certainly begin to seek out ways to do that. For guidance, check with Pastor Joel. 

A huge part of the goodness that is God is the love that he constantly showers upon us even when we aren’t particularly mindful of his presence. That is pretty great and wonderful. Ponder on that as we move ahead with our days pretty concentrated on ourselves and what is affecting us. If spending even a little time thinking about what might be affecting the lives of others and getting up the courage to step into that gap…..well, just think of the possibilities. 

Simplified: God is great, good and loving. Let’s spread it. 

Let me tell you, being a farmer’s wife for 39 years has taught me a lot about the richness that comes from spreading things and the bounty that is the result of that. As farmers, we call that being good stewards of the land. This has been a long lesson to me about being a good spiritual steward as well. Again I say, spread it!

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

Today I have two songs that really speak to me to share about the same topic – God’s goodness and love and loving, verb calling for action. The first is a light poppy and boppy piece called Love Is Everything We Need by Unspoken. Not very deep but a fun and groovin’ piece – nothing wrong with that. The second is by Cece Winans called Goodness of God. Man, the richness and deep nuance available in her voice is precious. This is a longer song and a good one to just let surround you as her gorgeous voice and song arrangement envelops you. Find a comfortable spot to rest after dancin’ a bit with the first tune and let this one wash over you. So, we started with pearls of wisdom from swine today and finish with a soak for your soul. A quirky but common occurrence in my world….simply another reason to always stay close.

For those of you who know me now, you might not imagine what a quiet child and adult I spent most of my life being. My mother used to call me long ears the rabbit as I would sit with the adults at family gatherings and listen to them talk rather than go out to play. I was observant and I watched others and took in what they did and pondered it. It wasn’t until later in my life that I realized what that taught me and led me to as I walk my faith journey daily. Read these examples of right here and right now faith sharing I have witnessed. 

I saw a then young man who attended our church when our building was located where the Beacon and Bridge gas station now stands, every Sunday ringing the bell atop the church pulling a rope which came down from a hole in the ceiling to move the bell from side to side to call all to church. I quietly watched that man ring the bell every Sunday and later in life I realized how committed he was to his faith to check his watch every Sunday and ring out that timely clarion call to faith. That man was Bob Rogers. 

I watched Ruth Cummings and Carrie Horton at the organ bench Sunday after Sunday, year after year, providing such good music to my listening ears which transposed the message into my heart as a sprout that would later grow and have me following in their footsteps. I was fed not only by their skill but by their commitment. 

I remember a man and woman of our church who offered me my first job. I was pretty scared but I had watched them and was pretty certain they would take care of me and teach me. Indeed they did. Roger and Maxine Porter. They gave me a foundation. 

I remember Barb Maki telling me what an honor it was to be able to shave my dad’s face at the end of his life when his disease became so disabling that a proud man had to allow a dear friend shave him. My father had been Barb’s pastor and mentor. As a child, I had stood and watched my dad shave himself time and time again. He liked to be self-sufficient, yet I imagine that letting Barb shave him was actually a gift to both of them and probably each knew it. 

I remember hiking Mt. Storm King in Olympic National Park with my son Drew and daughter Stephanie. What an experience! Those two killed me and Drew slyly did not let on what were in for. He always held out that the payoff would be worth it! And after completing that hike, while I looked like I might have a heart attack, I prayed, “Oh, dear God, how magnificent you truly are!” 

Those two scamps of mine quickly decided to do another mile hike to a waterfall to walk out the kinks of Mt. Storm King. I was dealing with something worse than kinks but it was along that road that I came upon two women sitting on a huge old log and they looked so happy that I felt drawn to talk to them. Drew and Steph went on. And I had a most compelling conversation with these women who were from the area and enjoyed coming to see the waterfall. They shared some troubling things in their life with me and I asked if I could pray for them. To me, I was reminded of the two women who carried the news of the empty tomb, I do not know why, but the image of them along the path remains. I have their names still, two years later, sticky noted on my computer. Their names with the caption that says sitting on log along waterfall walk in Olympic NP. I pray for them still today. 

We just finished corn season. Monetarily, the season was one of our worst but ohhhh, the crews of kids we had! Some of the best!! I feel blessed to have been part of such a season where I tell kids, the Sweet Corn Stand is about so much more than corn! They look at me. I say, we will show kindness to all because there isn’t enough kindness in the world and this is one small place we can be that kindness; we will serve others without the thought of receiving anything in return for our efforts and we will build community by engaging with customers because we actually take an interest in who they are and what is happening to them. 

Those kids blossomed this year! We got many remarks about what kind and pleasurable service folks received from the hard working kids at the stand. I was so proud of their engagement with each vehicle that came. 

The picking crew was just as committed to doing a good job. This brings tears to my eyes because there was a time, and John and I laugh about this together now, when I wasn’t sure if John was going to make it as a corn picker. But year after year he came back. And now? Look at this young man now!! John Page Tear always answered yes to every afternoon telephone call to come back and pick more corn in the hottest time of the day and he is now among the best of the best in corn picking lore. His voice was unfailingly kind and he was always on his way! I asked him one day, “John, why do you always answer yes to such difficult work?” His response was simply, “Well, I like to help people.” Another prayer of praise went up for the joy of just knowing him and his right now responses to our plight. 

How do we serve our God truly and faithfully in a world that is becoming more and more distorted by the day? We do it in so many ways – look at all the examples I gave you! We start right here – with ourselves. 

And we start right now!

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

Studying my mom’s 2021 devotional book again which she never got to use. 

This is our prayer today:

God, remind me that all things come in your time and that you aren’t bound by any deadlines. 

Today’s scripture offering:

Jesus replied: what is impossible with man is possible with God. Luke 18:27

We are in the crazy draining days of the corn season but we have a great group of young people helping us in our work. The schedules of kids are so crazy these days and the desire to know the schedule of the patch in advance is just a crushing desire by parents and kids alike. This is something we cannot know and we struggle with every night in order to send out messages to our parents and workers about schedules for them the next day. 

There is just so much to consider every day as so many little thing develop and create yet a new wrinkle in the corn plan. I know they want to know and I sooooo want to be able to tell everyone everything on into the future. I have had to just give up this intense pressure on me because I just can’t know these things. 

This timing is in God’s hands and we must get comfortable with our NEED to know and our knowledge that God will provide in God’s time. 

We have a great group of workers this year and I give praise and thanksgiving to God for pulling us all near to work together this year whether in the patch or under the tent. 

Pray for what I consider to be God’s ministry. I tell the kids all the time this is about so much more than corn – it’s about being kind, serving others with no expectation of anything in return and being in and creating community. Many can embrace the vision and even have passion for it. I pray that this all comes along in God’s time and works in all our hearts. 

Please pray with me and think about how the prayer and scripture fits into your life today. 

Stay close. 

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

Following is In Jesus Name God of Possible by Katy Nichols. Katy prays for all of us in what ever circumstance we may find ourselves in. Prayer is necessary, and God is the one who makes ‘possible’ happen even if it’s just getting though a month, a day, a few minutes or just the pressure of people wanting the answers from you that only God can provide. May it draw us all together. Reach out for community for where two or more are gathered – God is surely there. Wait for it……♥️

Have you ever talked to folks in your family or with friends and you hear disappointment in their voices. It happens and it is hard to hear. We want to turn away and get out of the conversation but the best thing for the relationship and our faith lives is to gather our courage together to have the tough conversations in a compassionate and loving way. We cannot do this delicate threading of the needle of faith, sewing the seams of our lives tightly together, without help from the author of creation.

Today I have written a piece based on the word ‘threading’ – we may not call it that but  to me it seemed like an appropriate picture of what we are called to do in our daily lives. Any seamstress worth her fabric and thread knows that it takes skill, practice and attention to become even competent at the task. We don’t always rise to the occasion, I’m afraid. I know I don’t and I find myself apologizing later. 

I believe that God is always asking us to be our better selves and we can only accomplish that with his steady compassionate help and being ready to hear and respond. He is our rock! 

T he Lord is compassionate and gracious, 

   slow to anger, abounding in love. -Psalms    

   Trust in your bond with the divine

H e had compassion on them and healed 

    their sick, after [Jesus] had seen the 

    large crowd.’ -Matthew 

    We may not heal in the miraculous way 

    Jesus did but our compassion poured out 

    as disciples can heal many wounds and 

    fears.

R eally loving our fellow human even though 

    at times it is sooooo hard and takes much 

    communion with God to find our way 

    through the maze before us. 

E phesians says: ‘Be kind and 

    compassionate to one another, forgiving 

    each other, just as in Christ God forgave 

    you.’ Continually bestowing seemingly 

    impossible grace and mercy – following 

    our guide to stitch with straight and true 

    hearts. 

A dminister true justice; show mercy and 

    compassion to one another. Prefaced by 

    ‘This is what the Almighty said.’ 

    -Zechariah 

    Pray for our aching complicated 

    sometimes scary world. Pray 

    that we take time to know how to 

    skillfully thread the situations we find 

    ourselves in, whether it be with family or 

    in the larger presence of God’s family, so 

    that there is a binding union of the fabrics 

    of lives spun only by God’s artistry on his 

    holy loom. 

D eliberately deciding to act from our source 

    of love before derailing ourselves in the 

    details. 

I nviting the Holy Spirit to constantly be at 

    work in us. If we are slow at this or don’t 

    think of it even, the Holy Spirit has a way 

    of showing us a thing or two! A friend has 

    taught me about this important part of 

    our faith. 

N one of us is perfect; even if we bend 

    continuously to our work with life’s ever 

    changing cloth. Remember to straighten 

    up and walk in the garden often with God, 

    we need his forgiveness continually. Oh, 

    and, notice the garden’s beauty…….

    it’s marvelous side/sight benefit is really a 

    nuance that heightens our senses as we 

    walk with God. 

G o God’s way. Get your hearts, souls, 

    gratitude, compassion, mouths and steps 

    in gear. We can only but serve – consider 

    this, we can learn to do so gracefully and 

    tenderly for the sake of our father’s 

    children, understanding we each are his 

    treasured children. 

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

I apologize for the long space between devotions. The reason? Worry. It sure can get us can’t it? Sometimes I believe worry also includes so many fears – some imagined. My mind runs almost continuously and then I do what I call snowballing if I am not very watchful. Let’s just say this is not a fun winter pastime. 

Snowballing is when fear and anxiety creeps into your mind and worry accelerates for reasons you sometimes know but sometimes cannot put a finger on. And yet the snowball grows with ever increasing speed as you draw yet another worry or fear in to join what started out as possibly one or two worries that were on your mind. Then you come to a hill and without thinking of the ramifications, you decide it is a great idea to push that already rather large snowball with all sorts of bad stuff sticking out of it on every curve over the edge and the speed of the snowball naturally accelerates beyond control and rushes down the hill with you flailing after it adding more and elements of your life that create worry or fear in you. By this time, you even think it’s okay to pull things from your childhood and toss them in just for the non-fun of it. 

You do not end up with a magical winter snowman of beauty and grace. It’s more like you have single-handedly created a full blown, from a night terror, gargantuan Yeti who is definitely not even a tad happy with you and is, yes, downright menacing. Yet now that you’ve created it, you can’t get your mind to even call forth an August summer sun to melt the mess that is threatening you. 

And it is sometimes even more difficult to connect with God, our Savior, who could take care of it even more quickly. Ever happen to you? Then you know what I’m talking about. If not, then raise up genuine prayers to God for those of us who DO know it intimately. And there are many of us!

Some of you know that my Aunt Dorothy died this year. She was very special to me. Her family was so gracious by placing a catalog of some of the things she owned online and we could indicate our interest in different pieces. She had a large print Bible she used that I placed my name down on barring that anyone in the immediate family wanted it. I recently received this treasure that belonged to a woman of very strong faith whom I loved very much. 

I have been looking through her Bible and have found some marked text and this passage has worked within me to quiet my worries and fears. It is a familiar psalm in parts. Perhaps it speaks to you. 

Psalm 139 (Christian Standard Bible)

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I 

     rise; you perceive my thoughts 

           from afar.

7 

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your 

          presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you 

     are there; if I make my bed in the 

           depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the 

     dawn, if I settle on the far side of 

           the sea,

10 even there your hand will 

       guide me, your right hand will hold me 

         fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness      

       will hide me and the light will become 

           night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be 

        dark to you; the night will shine like the 

            day, for darkness is as light to 

            you.

23 Search me, God, and know 

        my heart; test me and know my    

            anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive 

         way in me, and lead me in the way 

            everlasting.

Aunt Dorothy, I thank God that you left me a clue and a comfort for my oftentimes anxious heart. This passage offers me stability and comfort and I am ready to lie down in the peaceful pastures of another familiar Psalm. May the message rest in my heart and hopefully I will return again and again to this Psalm for restoration and comfort knowing that our help comes from the Lord but sometimes he uses people to deliver the message, even diminutive 99 year old aunts – her diminutive stature was a kindly trap, but the best kind of trap to be caught in. Just so you know: She believed in catch and release. 

Release from worry for a time – how refreshing. Like a cool drink of water – perhaps from the living well. 

Live well, Devotioneers! Live well and stay close. 

~Shauna Weil

A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC 

The following song by The Afters speaks to those who worry and fear, which might be all of us at times, right? It is worth preparing yourself to hear ‘I Will Fear No More’. 

Peace to all…….breathe……