Last week I shared the words and the origin of the famous Serenity Prayer. This week I am sharing another Serenity Prayer that I received in the mail. Upon reading it I found myself, my flaws, my ego, in the petitions expressed. Sometimes I find myself wanting to be God without the benefit of God's infinite wisdom and perfect love. (Lord, have mercy!) Perhaps you will find this prayer insightful and thought provoking, also. The New Serenity Prayer from America Media - a Jesuit Ministry God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, which is pretty much everyone, since I'm clearly not you, God. At least not the last time I checked. And while you're at it, God, please give me

When my Junior High homeroom teacher, Mrs. Moore, came into the classroom in the morning she always took a few moments and read something to herself from a card. One day I "happened" to see that card on her desk and discovered she was reading the Serenity Prayer each morning. Why would a Junior High School teacher need to read a serenity prayer??? We are probably all familiar with the following well known version of the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The prayer which came to be called the Serenity Prayer was originally written in the 1930s by theologian Reinhold Niebu

There was an article in Parade Magazine this past Sunday that started me thinking. The question was posed, "What was your first job?" I thought of the first jobs each of my children had. One worked at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club, one at Gray's IGA, one at the now defunct Hilander, and one at the Rockford YMCA. I began my working career as a babysitter extraordinaire but the first job where I was paid by company check was at the East St. Louis Young Men's Christian Association. My Mom was an excellent job coach. She said it was not enough to get to work on time, get there early. Learn every skill available to you. Do more than the job requires. If someone asks if you know how to do somethin

It's Too Darnn Hot! That is a song by Cole Porter from the musical, Kiss Me Kate. That song title says it all for me. My brother-in-law, Jim, loves the heat. He waits all year for the joy of getting out and sweating. Yuck! Another Jim, our own Jim Crone, is out manicuring our expansive church lawn as I write this. I am keeping an eye on him as he buzzes by the office window on the new church riding mower. I don't want him to pass out unnoticed! My son James, not Jim, thinks it is not a day if he doesn't work out and work up a major sweat. He is his father's son. As a child living in Southern Illinois, I hated the heat. I started dreading the rise of the thermometer in April and May and start

It was fun to have Dmitri and Maria participate in the worship service last Sunday. It was so hard for me not to reach out and hug them! I hope we can do it again soon. Perhaps other young persons will be inspired to volunteer for an upcoming Sunday morning. Ron Holm prepared and offered music that went along with our youth theme. It really does take a village to send out a service to your home. Now, for the follow-up. If you liked seeing the younger members of Spring Creek Church in the service would you please tell them? We are not offering any programs for youth this summer; we cannot safely offer any youth programs now. But we can recognize and stay in touch with our young people. May I