“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16)

One of my best memories was during a season where a few friends and I gathered at Starbucks on Saturday mornings. We spent several hours studying the Word and encouraging one another. We had so much fun that it was not unusual for others to stop by out of curiosity to join our group or ask for prayer for situations they were facing.

Those Saturday mornings transformed me. I learned a lot and found incredible joy in the Word of God. Those friendships are the most dear ones I have. 

The Assembly of the Saints

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15)

My husband is a huge baseball fan; not of baseball only but a enormous fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Which means many hours during the summer are spent watching games, checking scores on his phone, and even driving to St. Louis to be able to sit in the stands and root for His team.

I am not a baseball fan, however one position in baseball is of interest to me. That is the role of the umpire. In the world of high technology and instant playbacks, it has not as of yet affected the role the umpire plays in this game. What this person does is make calls during plays. Their call is based on what they see, what they know to be true as outlined in the rules of the game, and most importantly their call is final. It is not up for negotiation or second guesses once it is made. In other words, the umpire is the final authority when it comes to baseball.