Stephen Ministers January 2022

by Penny Brill

Here we are again. Year three of a pandemic. I had hoped to be over this, and now I find myself developing anxiety all over again. We see a glimmer of hope, and then....it disappears. If ever we needed the strength of the Almighty, it is now.

It is up to each of us to find our path in this new (and all too familiar) terrain. Each of us will seek out our own level of comfort, and no one needs to judge another's level.

This is a good time to think about what gives us joy or happiness. I am coming to realize that happiness can be fleeting. It appears to be an emotion that comes from outside; from things or relationships or events. While joy seems to come from within.

In my life, joy comes from the certainty I have that God loves me. And because he has shown and graced me with unconditional love, I can share this love, and the joy it gives me, with the world around me. There is no end to the power this support brings into my life.

I have been down and felt powerless over things, but time, prayer and reflection, bring me back to the inner strength that God has shown me.

Stephen Ministry is a path back to anyone feeling abandoned, hopeless, anxious or unable to cope. It is a path back to hope and a more positive future. It is a path toward acceptance and reconciliation with the issues that are leaving you feeling out of control. It is a path back to joy in the acceptance of God.

Stephen Ministry is available to you by calling the church office and asking to be put in touch with the program. It is totally confidential and non-judgmental. As we enter into this new year, is there a better moment to decide to make our lives one that we want to wake up to each day? Let us all embark on a truly Happy New Year.

Penny Brill

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4: 11-13

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