Thoughts, reflections and opinions from the Staff and leaders of St. Paul's Lutheran Church
St. Paul's Staff Blog is a monthly (or more often) blog with posts shared by the staff and leaders of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Maumee, Ohio.
Does a train enter a dark tunnel and not expect to see a light at the other end? ...
Kids know a lot about monsters. Although opinions vary on what the creatures look like, there is agreement on several points. Monsters lurk under the bed, are nocturnal, are frightening beyond reason and disappear in the presence of light....
When was the last time you stopped, and I mean really stopped? Put your phone down, turned off the tv, stopped answering work emails when you are off the clock, and got off Amazon. ...
We all know judgmental people, don’t we? Here’s a little story about one:...
What do we do when God says, “No.” to us, when God turns us down flat, or even when God doesn’t seem to answer at all?...
There’s a breathless short story in Mark 5.25-27 that leads up to one powerful moment. ...
One morning I opened the door to get the newspaper and was surprised to see a strange little dog with our paper in his mouth. Delighted with this unexpected "delivery service," I fed him some treats. The following morning I was horrified to see the same dog sitting in front of our door, wagging his tail, surrounded by eight newspapers. I spent the rest of that morning returning the papers to their owners....
If you’re reading this, I am sure you have never been stressed, or anxious in your entire life and live a life of complete peace and understanding. If that is not you, then you’re in the right place. ...
Monthly, I make the drive from Ohio to Chicago. I have done it for 13 years as part of my job working for a software developer out of Chicago. It has been the same route and same routine every month. I always stop at the same Dairy Queen in Indiana on the way over to grab a small chocolate cone and McDonald’s on the way back for a sweet iced tea. One such trip took me in a whole ‘nother direction in my walk with Christ. ...
I remember hearing the following story: Arthur Gordon was cleaning out the family home when he came across something he found to be of great value. It was a trunk full of family letters......
The Biblical way of thinking is that a day begins with evening and continues with the morning. ...but how does the Biblical rhythm of a day help me?...
Have you ever heard the Footprints poem? This is one of my favorite reminders that God walks with us in every situation. ...
It’s so easy to get stressed out. In addition to the pressures we have all of the time from school, jobs, and even family and friends, it’s easy to feel the pressure to get things done and, at times, feel just plain anxious, worried, and stressed out. ...
On the 17th of March we are invited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But should we? I mean, as Jesus-followers, should we show that we are participating in the day?...
The calendar this year gave us Valentine’s Day on Sunday the 14th and Ash Wednesday three days later on the 17th of February. Interestingly, these two special days will both be on the 14th of February in the years 2024 and 2029. This confluence makes me wonder about possible connections between Love and Lent. Do we Love Lent? Could Lent be a time of Love? Are Love and Lent opposites? ...
A common complaint against the sensibility of Christianity is that while God - as a higher being, powerful, living outside of our dimension and yet interacting with it - can be believed to exist, the idea that he could listen to the prayers of everyone, all at once, is simply too implausible....
Do you find yourself realizing that you haven't spent any, or enough, time with God? ...
Does the world seem to be losing its direction? So much anger and people acting out against others to right a wrong or prove they are correct. Is it not written, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2). ...
It is amazing how something so small, which started on the other side of the world, could have such a major influence on every part of our lives. ...
If you feel like there are some days where it's impossible to move the mountain in front of you, here is the beautiful thing - we don't have to do it alone. ...
Instead of complaining, I think we have to be retrained to think differently. ...
Have you ever found a penny? I think most of us have. Do you consider pennies “lucky”? Do you stop, pick them up and keep them? More and more often, I think people are walking on by them thinking they aren’t worth much at all. After hearing the following story, I think pennies are more than “lucky”. ...
“Sometimes I just look up, smile, and say, ‘I know that was you, God. Thanks!’”...
A true-life story that illustrates the love of Jesus for me and I hope it will do the same for you....
Each Thanksgiving, my family and I have a tradition of reading aloud the Presidential proclamation for the first annual Day of Thanksgiving....
I came across this true-life story the other day and it touched my heart as a powerful combination of “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22.39) and “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7.12). I hope you enjoy it and find meaning in it as I did....
I’ve always loved Vacation Bible School (VBS). In fact, this is the second time that VBS is the subject of one of my blog posts. ...
Important ways dads can be meaningful contributors to the well-being of their rapidly growing kids....
So, how shall we measure the success of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, her leaders and her "members"? The answer for you and me, our "scorecard" if you will, is all about making disciples....
The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend. We were wondering when the practice of “Passing The Peace” began at our churches....
How can you celebrate the love, joy, peace, forgiveness, mercy, friendship and laughter the Lord brings you every day?...
The heat has for many been oppressive - has it not? Seems we get a day of relief and then WHAM it comes again....
"Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart." PS119:34...
When someone says the words, "Bible School", I'm immediately transported back maybe 50 years to when I was a girl....
It's obvious that we are involved and invested in our kids. Do we always have our priorities straight? Where does God fit into the picture?...
I don't want to just be a family like everyone else's family. I don't want to be a family like anyone else's church. I want our family to be a family of God. So what does that mean or look like?...
I share with you, yearly, the words of Philippians 2:5 and Chuck Swindoll's words about "Attitude" because I truly believe that in them is wisdom vital to our health....
Have you ever found a penny? I think most of us have. Do you consider pennies “lucky”? Do you stop, pick them up and keep them? More and more often, I think people are walking on by them thinking they aren’t worth much at all. After hearing the following story, I think pennies are more than “lucky”. ...
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