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Happy Monday! Spring is spring-ing and I am so happy! I finally had the room in my calendar and the cooperation of the weather to work with my sister to get our flower patch started. We started this little “passion project” last year for fun (and for cheap therapy!) and we’re looking forward to the time we’ll get to spend together in the garden this summer. As much as I love getting my hands in the dirt planting all of our little plugs, I’m just as excited to fill our roadside stand and our friends' tables with our blooms! This weekend also brought lots of wedding planning, we’re just about a month away from my sister’s wedding. It will be a special weekend! 

Last week we wrapped up our “formal” Wednesday Roots Nights for our Lil’, Bridge and Youth Roots. They’ll celebrate with their Roots Night Bash on Wednesday, May 20th. It’ll be an indoor mini-golf tournament, but with a twist! You play with “anything but a putter!” You’ll have to check in with our Roots Kids and see what kind of creative equipment they bring to play! Many thanks to all of our volunteers who have poured their hearts into our Roots Kids, it has been a fruitful season! 

The Adult Roots will continue their Wednesday night “digging deeper” Bible Study with Pastor Kevin through the month on May. With the exception of this week; however, since we have our Spring Congregational Business Meeting. Make every effort to participate in that meeting, it begins at 7pm. There are still packets available in the Gathering Area, reviewing them before the meeting is helpful!

We’re wrapping up the second session of the BELIEVE series, this year is flying by! Next week I hope to release the Adult Summer Sunday School electives, their teachers and locations. The summer session will begin on Sunday, June 7th as Sunday May 31st is an Every Generation Sunday. Speaking of which, we’re updating our “family picture” that Sunday during the Sunday School hour! Following the family picture, we’ll do some small, intergenerational prayer groups and pray through the BELIEVE statements from weeks 1-20!

I’m away at the beginning of next week for a super fast pre-wedding celebration for my sister so there won’t be a Monday email from me next week. Blessings to you all in the week ahead! 

 

What WE’RE Learning This Week: A nugget of what our Lil’, Youth and Adults Roots heard this week

Our Key Idea: I offer my time to fulfill God’s purposes.

Our Key Verse: Colossians 3:17

How Every Generation Lives This Out: Share with someone in your household... Where do you need to change how you spend your time so you can give God more?

 

What I’M Learning This Week: Sharing what I’m reading and listening to lately

Sometimes when we talk about God being Omnipresent (all-present) we talk about it in a “He’s watching” way; like in a behavior correction way or a preventative maintenance way. Lately I’ve been growing in my understanding of and my gratefulness towards God’s omnipresence in the sense that He is literally walking with me in all things at all times. He’s celebrating with me in joyous moments. He hurts me when I’m wounded by others or the sin of the world. He’s grieving right alongside of me as I carry the heaviness of what is no longer and not yet. 

I was reading a devotional this morning that was talking about God’s presence with us. The author referenced Psalm 139:5, specifically “you lay your hand upon me.” She talked about how the original language for the word “hand” translates to “palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.” 

When someone we love lays their hand on us, we are comforted. We acknowledge their presence near us and the intimacy and depth of our relationship. Our omnipresent God isn’t just standing beside us, His hand is on us. He’s so near we can feel it. 

Psalm 139:6 says “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to understand.” Yes, the mystery and the gift of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-PRESENT God is far too wonderful for us, yet, he still comes close.

 

Make Every Week Count: Parenting, Grandparenting & Spiritual Mentoring Resources

Something to Read: I’ve been getting some interesting (and challenging) theological questions from some of our Roots Kids lately! This article popped up in my email recently and felt timely to a conversation I had the other day. Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen? (Tough Questions Teenagers Ask)

Something to Listen to: Okay, wow. Loved this podcast! Can’t wait to share more of these resources with you soon! Give “Family Catechisms with Raeanne Johnson” a listen.

Something to Follow: Focus on the Family has been publishing this magazine for teen girls for a long time (I got it in the mail as a teen!) It’s relevant and faith-based and a great gift or resource for the teen girls in your life. Check out the Brio Magazine!

 

How Can You Pray? Prayer Requests and Praises from Roots Ministries

PRAY for our seniors! The end is near! Pray that they will finish well.

PRAISE for all of our Roots Nights volunteers!