As this email arrives in your inbox, I’m on my way home from a Wilderness Day Retreat. Now, while I’d love for you all to think I’m an intense outdoorsy person who can survive in the woods with just her wits and her trusty hatchet, let me say right out of the gate that...
By Caris Power-- Two weeks ago I found myself in a funk. Despite my generally positive life circumstances, I was seriously contending with a spirit of discouragement within myself. Hope felt elusive. Doubt and pessimism fought to be the primary voices in my head. My overall disposition was...
By Caris Power-- In 2019 BC (Before COVID), I landed the role of “Silly Girl #2” in a local musical production of Beauty and the Beast. This was my first on-stage acting role I had held since my glorious elementary school years. I had a handful of lines and was also part of the...
By Caris Power -- Which is true? “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” or “Out of sight, out of mind.” We have been absent from each other, at least in the form of physical Sunday morning gatherings, for over 19 weeks. That is four and a half months. Come September, if...
By Caris Power -- As many of you know, I just returned from a beautiful two and a half weeks in the Caribbean. (It hardly feels real that I can say that!) I went with two friends from college that have remained good friends over the years. We wanted to celebrate over two decades of friendship...
By Caris Power -- Have you ever helped save a life? I have. It’s terrifying and thrilling and humbling. Many of you may have heard that one of our faith community members went into cardiac arrest in the church lobby early one Monday evening in September. Our good, great, and gracious God...
By Caris Power -- Picking Songs: Part 1 Picking worship songs and putting together the order of service each week is one of the most fun and most daunting tasks I am privileged to do as part of my job every week on staff. I was once asked if I just picked my favorites each week to sing...
By Caris Power -- <Nerd alert!> I love beginning a new sermon series at church. I do!Is anyone else feeling me on that one?There are several reasons for it: The start of something fresh. Hearing the vision behind why the pastor has chosen a particular portion of scripture to take...
By Caris Power -- We have ALWAYS had an angel on top of our Christmas tree. He/she (I’m not actually sure) presides over each of our Christmas seasons with bright, white-lighted aplomb. She/he is up there because the angels brought the message about the coming Messiah to Mary, and...
By Caris Power -- unsung hero | noun Someone who does a great job yet receives little or no recognition for that. An unsung hero usually refrains from claiming too much in return for his/her efforts. We love our heroes, don’t we? The Marvel and DC comic empires have made...