Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

One of my favorite hymns, “On Eagle’s Wings”, is a well-known hymn that praises the uplifting presence of the Lord in our lives.  The first stanza is a reference to Psalm 91:1-2, which says “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

“You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”*

The chorus mentions that God will raise you on eagles’ wings as referenced in Exodus 19:4, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you safely from your captors.”

“And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand”*

“On Eagle’s Wings” is a devotional Hymn penned by Michael Joncas in the late 1970’s.  In these troubling times of hatred and violence, we feel a special need to be lifted above the fray.  Lord, lift the hatred from our hearts.  Guide us to accept those children of God whose views are different from ours.  Remind us to love, as you yourself love us, unconditionally.

Judy

*Songwriter Michael Joncas, Published by© 1979, OCP Publications

“My mother used to say that…” or “Oh, my goodness, I haven’t heard that in ages…” or “That is something my grandmother told me…” or “That quote was hanging in my 5^th grade classroom.”

Sayings.  Adages.  Wisdom.  Proverbs 4:23 (From the Message): “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” Proverbs seems to be a great book in the Bible for so many adages and wonderful life guidelines.  I just bet that is where my mother and grandmother got their “sayings.” Indeed, it was!

Watch over your heart for me this means try my best not to expose myself to trash talk, to gossip, to the AI news someone created with untruths. Hm? Doesn’t always seem easy to decipher what is “real” and what is “fabricated.”  I love the rest of the verse in Proverbs that tells me whatever I allow my heart to take in, that’s where life starts.  Praying for wisdom helps. We are loved so unconditionally and our heavenly Father wants us to protect our thoughts and minds and heart from negativity, from untruths, and from hate-filled talk.  Your thoughts control the outcomes.

“Don’t take any wooden nickels. (Watch out for trickery.) If there is a will, there is a way.  You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar. (Being kind is more effective). Blood is thicker than water. (family comes first).”  I’m certain you can add to this short list of sayings.  Wise Words from His Holy Word will strengthen and empower you.  Your heart will be filled with Him…and that’s where life starts.

Jill

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Patience in waiting for the Lord is one of the greatest acts of faith a believer can show.
In our fast-paced world, we often want immediate answers and quick solutions, but
God’s timing is perfect…never too early, never too late and never rushed. When we
finally come to this realization, surrender our OWN timelines and choose to trust HIS, we
declare that His wisdom is greater than ours.

Psalm 27:14 doesn’t tell us to sit around and twiddle our thumbs while we are waiting
for an answer. This waiting season is not wasted time. It is most likely time for
preparation. During this waiting season, even when it feels like a lifetime, God is
strengthening our character and deepening our dependence on Him, with the optimism
we will find peace and hope in His presence.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with the wings as eagles.

So, when prayers seem unanswered or doors remain closed, remember…He is working
behind the scenes. Trust that God loves us unconditionally, that His timing is always
right and when the moment comes, His plans will be far better than anything we could
have hoped for. Thanks be to God!

Patty

These are funny English words. Words that carry the weight of responsibility with them. When I was in Grammar School (the school where I learned grammar and spelling and handwriting-a long time ago), I learned that “choose” is an irregular verb, meaning “to pick one thing over another.” The word “chose” is the past tense of the word. “Chosen” is another story altogether and I am not going there because I want to visit with the words: choose and chose.  

In the current issue of “The Word in Season,” (“The Word in Season”, October, November, December 2025) there is a meditation on October 11 about how Father Damien of Moloka’i chose to minister to the victims of leprosy in the infamous Hawaiian island colony. I remember reading of his story in high school and being impressed by the courage and compassion that this simple man exhibited for these suffering people. Could I make that kind of selfless choice? 

Father Damien chooses to go to Moloka’i. He made a difficult decision, knowing the probable outcome, yet he moved ahead with God at his side. Because God also chooses to be with him and with us always. He loves us unconditionally always.  

God does have the option to choose not to be with us, however He chooses to always be by our sides. Not because He is obligated, but because He wants to be by our sides to demonstrate that unconditional love that will never change! How wonderful is that? 

Such an example is hard to imitate, but we must. We must in order to demonstrate our love for God and our companion travelers on this worldly walk. I don’t say this lightly. I realize that this is a heavy task, one that is often forgotten or neglected. However, it is one that will bring us everlasting joy in the knowledge that we are imitating the Almighty, All-loving God. It is one that I can make with God at my side. 

Choose to love.  

Terri 

In front of our house in Chicago was a silver maple tree. Although the house is gone, the tree is still there. I’m guessing it’s around 130 years old. In the fall silver maples are a disappointment. The leaves turn a yellowish-brown and crumple as they fall. There was nothing much to admire about our tree in autumn. It was just the cause of pile after pile of dead leaves that had to be racked up. And when the city forbade leaf burning, even that small exciting compensation was lost.

That memory is tied for me with a Bible passage, Isaiah 40:6-7, “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth.” That’s not one of the cheery parts of the Bible. It reminds us of the frailty of human life. We are here for a brief spell, then wither and fade. Yet this passage takes a sudden change in verse 8: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” And then comes the encouraging words  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!”

Maybe you’re familiar with these words from this chorus in Handel’s “Messiah.”

When the days seem to get you down, keep in mind the assurance that God stands forever.

Read Isaiah 40:1-8 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

I’m gearing up for some road trips this fall. I’m sure many of us have traveled recently, heading
off for destinations far and wide. Business or pleasure, city or country, mountain or beach, we
all love to travel.

Set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. – 1
Timothy 4:12b

We’re not invisible. Even when we’re far away from home, far away from anyone who knows
us, we’re still God’s ambassadors. How we behave gets noticed. Here is a great opportunity
to show strangers how a child of God behaves, and maybe inspire them to do the same. Do
we stand on a street corner in a distant city and declare that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?
Probably not. But do we keep our heads up, greet strangers with eye contact and a smile, and
make them feel like we’re glad that our paths crossed? Not always yes, but we try.

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. –
John 13:35

So, by treating strangers with kindness, we communicate the Father’s love for them through
us. And maybe, put in a better mood, they’ll do the same for the next person. It’s like at Easter
Vigil, or Christmas Eve, when the flame from a single candle is passed from person to person
until the whole church is lit up. The original flame is not extinguished because it passed along
its light, is it? No! Instead, the light is multiplied until darkness itself is extinguished!

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your heavenly Father. – Matthew 5:16

We don’t conduct ourselves like this in order that others may remember us by name, do we?
These people will likely never see us again. But we do this because by brightening someone’s
day, we can cause a chain reaction of complete strangers whose days will also be lit by the
flame of God’s love. Also, it brightens our own day when we see that we’ve brightened
someone else’s. We’ve become God’s instruments!

We pray:
Heavenly Father, as we travel to distant lands, You are with us always. Your
commandment to love one another doesn’t stop when we leave our own borders. We
are still bound by Your law, and still expected to behave as Your children. Help us to
pass along Your light wherever we go. We ask this through Your Son Jesus Christ, who
spread light like no other before or since. AMEN.

Jeff, our friend in Connecticut

This has probably happened to you, as it did me this morning. Usually our most vivid dreams (or nightmares) happen right before we awaken. This morning I had a humdinger! I was on stage, performing trombone with a band, and I also had a speaking role – for which I was unprepared. I have had three community theater parts, so I can definitely relate to stage fright. Down went the conductor’s baton. Too late now. I knew I would freeze because I couldn’t remember my lines.

Having done a mild amount of study on dreams, I learned that there are certain archetypes of characters that tickle our minds while we sleep. The most powerful could very well be of The Holy Trinity. We have all been children (as was Jesus); each of us had a father and a mother. Mother Mary Magdalene, with child, is a nurturer and healer. In stark contrast, the maternal archetype might be more like “Mommy Dearest” or the brutal stepmother of Cinderella. Back to the Bible, and much older is the prophetess Anna in the temple holding, yes, – Jesus. The Divine Child links our shared past, present, and future.

Dramatic images that weave in and out of our dreams. In our relationships, we work out our feelings whether waking or sleeping. It is awe-inspiring how we do that at the subconscious level. We try to reconcile unpleasant memories of abusive, dysfunctional experiences with striving to savor the best of each of us. Our amazing, unconditionally loving God, is up all night, perhaps delegating to His holy angels. Dear reader, if you are having too many restless, sleepless nights, please avail yourself of the healing our Lord wishes for you – through brothers and sisters in Christ; divine children, great mothers, even counselors. We are all in this together. The wicked cannot overpower you.

Pastor Art

I recently had the occasion to visit a shop in Cedar Key that features art and crafts, all made by local artists.  All the items were beautiful; each showed the distinctive talents of a particular artist.  I found so much to admire, so much to appreciate, and so many choices for beginning my Christmas gift shopping! 

A few days later I attended a workshop led by Pastor Wayne, centered on discovering our individual spiritual gifts.  I thought back to the art store selections.  The watercolorist did not make the pottery.  The potter wasn’t like to make metal sculptures.  The unique jewelry was not created by painter of murals.  Likewise, our spiritual talents are unique.  We have each been gifted by the Holy Spirit.  We have gifts to share for the common good.  But we don’t all have the same talent, and that is very good indeed.

If we all were gifted only with the voice to sing like an angel, who would visit the sick?  If we all had only  the mercy and understanding to comfort the hurting, who would organize congregations and have the vision to lead?   Each talent is different, and each is wonderful.

Thoughtfully consider what you can do, what you’re comfortable doing, what it is that feels most rewarding – those are your gifts.  Then open yourself to the opportunities to use your gift within our congregation and among your family and friends.

The Holy Spirit is so good to us.  His gifts are perfect for each person at each time.

Judy

Let’s be honest. Have you ever felt unloved, perhaps unimportant, or even insecure? With the bumpy, twisted road of life, I think these feelings have bumped into you at different times. The Message version of the Bible, Ephesians 2:19-22 states, “That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”

Whoosh! Those feelings of being unloved, unimportant or insecure should have just flown out of the window. Are you serious? God is using US? How awesome! We are built into his Holy Temple. The very temple the disciples were the foundation of and Christ was the cornerstone. I am so unconditionally loved, I am so important in the building, and my security comes from my God. See my heart smile! Amazing gift from God, He is using me…and YOU!  Lift your head, you are a child of our most High God. Amen! Hallelujah! Let the building continue! Reread the verse…YOU are important to God.

Accept the truth that God is forming and shaping you and dwells within you, so YOU are part of His temple. The last phrase of the scripture noted above states: “…a temple in which God is quite at home.” Please, Lord make me worthy. I am truly loved, important and secure! Amen!

Jill

Psalm 30:5 speaks to us about anger and wrath lasting for a night but gives a reminder that joy comes with the light of day, in the morning.  During my working years, I was up at 5:30 a.m., wakened by an alarm that was the sound of birds chirping. My 30-minute drive to work, during some seasons, resulted in viewing spectacular sunrises. Now, in retirement, the beautiful morning sun wakens me as it filters through my window.  No matter if evening hours have you stewing with work pressures looming over you, or there is a tiff with your spouse, friend, coworker, or if the children are causing turmoil, or any myriad of things to cause you anger or upset, themorning’s brightness signifies a new day, a new hope, a newstart. What amagnificent gift, JOY!

God loves us unconditionally. He never fails to set the sun nor does He forget to let us witness it rising again. A new day, a bright reminder of the hope we should have in Him. Joy can be ours. Allow your days to start with witnessing the Light. See Him in your beginnings and your day will be blessed.  Joy comes in the morning. Seek the Light and know He’s got your day!

Jill