A former pastor friend of mine once wrote a sermon likening the invasive species buckthorn to sin.  Once in an area, invasive species like buckthorn tend to crowd out native plants and take over, choking the life and viability out of other plants and trees. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, buckthorn: “threatens the future of forests, wetlands, prairies, and other natural habitats. out-competes native plants for nutrients, light, and moisture. degrades wildlife habitat. contributes to erosion by…

I think many of us experience anxiety, worry and fear from time to time. Especially in this upcoming election season. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Philippians 4: 6-8. I’ve loved the verse so much that it’s been on my fridge for years: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts…

Recently, my husband and I camped on the North Shore with some ATN friends.  Our Sunday church service was held on the beach in view of the sparkling blue water and the rugged shoreline.  As we spent time in silence listening for God, the sound of the waves rhythmically beating against the rocky beach caught my attention.  One after another the waves rolled in………wave upon wave upon wave…………. The word “blessing” came into my mind.  Like the waves, God’s blessings…

We lived with our grandparents when I was growing up, and my grandmother was a very frugal woman. Christmas gifts from her were always practical and not what my sister and I wanted when we were children. But so, we didn’t show disappointment and hurt her feelings when opening them  on Christmas morning, we devised a sneaky way of loosening the tiny bit of tape at one end of the package and peeking in to see if the box was…