I am determined to get my newsletter article in on the day it is due. Typically my article is late because I have a hard time deciding what to talk about, there are so many ideas running through my head. This month, there are a whole bunch of things, but not one of them is enough to fill up the space I have. So as I sit here in my home office, longing for the entertainment of baby birds being fed by a momma bird right outside my window, it occurred to me that all the things running around in my head are the things I would talk about if I were seeing you face to face. You know, those little things that make up a conversation, that tell us a little bit more about the other person, that help us feel connected. I would tell you about how Leo almost caught a squirrel this morning when it wandered onto the patio in search of the tidbit everyone else missed, all the while seeming not to notice the very large cat waiting to pounce. Or I would ask you about my little tree and the best way to care for it, and together we would be in awe of its ability to come back to life no matter how neglectful I sometimes get. Or perhaps we would lament together because we haven’t had a chance to see the new little one in our family because of the virus and how Wyla Grace will be eight months soon and has yet to meet her Auntie Karyn or Great Aunt Sue and Uncle Jeff. It’s a travesty, for sure. These are the things that I miss sharing with you and I miss hearing about from you.

For sure these last five months have challenged us all in a variety of ways, and the road is still somewhat hazy ahead of us, but we know we have a ways to go, but what hasn’t changed is that we are still a people gathered together (virtually) by the love of God in Jesus, and just like in other times when the church could not meet together as a whole, we are finding ways to stay connected, and we know that in time, we will be together again. Until then, feel free to share your stories with me via email or Facebook or phone call, and I will continue to share mine in my musings and sermons. And know that you are missed and you are loved.