Month: May 2025

Motivational Monday

On May 19, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Today, I want to talk about something I try to do everyday. Do you ever just close your eyes and listen to the birds and thank God? Thank him for the sounds you hear and birds happily singing (have you ever heard a grumpy bird sing?). Or maybe thank Him for that tooth that’s hurting (true story right now for me!). I am thankful I have a tooth to hurt, dental insurance that will help pay for it and a dentist who is willing to help me this week! And all of this is…God. So, let’s talk about it.

When I was younger, I never thanked God. Not because I was a brat (I mean, I might have been) but it wasn’t something I thought about. Weird, isn’t it? I mean, I thanked people around me. I had manners. But when it came to God, I just didn’t think about it. One day as I started praying, I thanked Him for something major that had happened in my life and He helped me through it. And that’s when it hit me. Why am I thanking Him for this…and ONLY this? From that point on, I would try to make it a point to thank Him everyday for something. And some days it’s hard to thank Him. But as you do it daily, you realize how not hard it is. Cultivating a grateful heart takes dedication but not a huge amount of time.

Begin your day with thanks. You can literally thank Him for waking you up. This is usually the time my sweet Marcy (calico cat) wants her cuddle time. So, I lay there and cuddle her. I thank Him for her. I thank Him for all my animals and all my loved ones. No, I don’t say, “Thank you for waking me up” but I do. Beginning your day with a conversation with the Lord is a great way to start the day.

Thank Him in your worship. I know, I know. You feel like since you are worshipping Him, that is a sign of gratitude. I don’t disagree with that mindset but while you are worshipping Him, take it one step further. Listen to the words of the songs Amy picks for the choir and congregation to sing. I can’t tell you how many times I close my eyes and say, YES LORD!! Thank you!” Or when Pastor Scott is in the pulpit and he reminds us of what we have been given. Thank you Lord! Which is a perfect segway into the next one.

Speak of all His benefits. What does that mean? Basically, how has God shown His faithfulness to you? How has He blessed you? Psalm 103:2 says: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” When we recall these benefits, we need to tell others. It is our goal to lead others to Him. One of the ways is to tell your testimony. I guarantee you that your testimony has many benefits you can share.

Thank Him as you read the Word. Many people, including myself, can find the Bible challenging to read and understand. You are not alone, friend. There are times I have read whole sections of the Bible and I just go with it. I have no idea what I just read. But that’s why we have Bible studies and we go to church. Pastor Scott has a great way of explaining scripture. But when we do stop and thank Him while hearing or reading His word, it turns our hearts to Him and not to ourselves.

Lastly and one of the hardest…thank Him for hard times. We live in a sinful world. We will encounter difficult things everyday. It could be a tooth that hurts or we lost a loved one. It is so easy in difficult times to become despondent. And hey! I am no different than you when it comes to being down. By thanking Him in a hard time, again, turns our hearts to Him. We are surrendering to Him and allowing Him to help us when we need it the most.

I want to challenge you for 7 straight days to pray a thankful prayer to God. This doesn’t have to be anything grandiose. This can literally be a quick, “Thank you God for my green grass.” That might sound silly but if you pray that prayer this is what I hear you say. You are thanking Him for the opportunity that you have grass and it’s healthy (maybe you have battled army worms). You are thanking Him for the health you have to mow your grass or the financial security for you to pay someone who maintains it for you. You are thanking Him for a place for insects to live and a place for the birds to eat. So you see, a prayer like that isn’t usually as topical as it sounds. And it gets you thinking how blessed you really are even when times are tough.

Thank you for being here and reading this far. I thank God everyday for each and everyone of you.

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On May 12, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! How was your Mother’s Day? I hope you spent it with loved ones. I know holidays can be a difficult time for some (no matter the holiday). Holidays are a time that brings up memories…sometimes good and sometimes bad. Holidays can also leave us feeling lonely. So let’s talk about it.

There have been times in my life where I felt very alone. And trust me, I was never really alone. My husband, son and all our 8 million animals have always been there physically for me. In fact, there are times when being physically alone might’ve been nice at the time. 😉 But the alone I am referring to is being mentally alone. And, we have all been there no matter your age. This could be something small and insignificant to something huge like a loss of a loved one. But let’s be honest, the small things are usually the ones that come and go the most in life. Do you ever feel guilty about it?

Fun fact! Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month? It’s ok, I didn’t either until recently. But how appropriate this topic came up during this month.

Is it appropriate for Christians feel lonely? Well of course it is! If you listened to Pastor Scott’s sermon yesterday, he talked about Jesus having emotions. Can you imagine how lonely Jesus felt on the cross after He was betrayed by His disciples? I mean, man. What about in the Garden of Gethsemane when He wanted his disciples with Him yet they were asleep? If you have ever felt lonely, it’s not a good feeling at all. So why does God allow it?

Why does God allow anything bad to happen? He can stop or start anything He wants. So why does this happen? Well, just like all things, we have free will. Let me tell you how my mind works on this. We are a rubber band. When something happens, our rubber band is stretched. Sometimes just a little and sometimes it’s stretched to the max. Sometimes it stretches a little and little more and little more. But there is a time when the rubber band is going to break or you have to relieve the tension. What relieves the tension? God. Yep. Just God. Seeking Him and allowing Him to work through you resets your rubber band.

I think what is important when loneliness hits you is to compartmentalize it. That way, once you know where it falls, you will know how to correct it, right?

Situational Christian Loneliness– This is where we don’t have enough friends and/or family.This could be more of in general or maybe you moved. So how do you combat that without making friends in an unchristian-like manner? Always be proactive in making friends. Listen, years ago, I met a lady while she was working at Publix. Today, I hug her when I see her out and I keep up with her on social media. You never know who or where you are going to meet someone! And social media…it’s great and it’s not so great. It’s great because you can stay in touch. And just go to church! I can’t tell you the amount of friends I have now just because I go to church. You don’t have to get involved in everything. Just go. Trust me. These people will be your friend!
Emotional Christian Loneliness– Honestly speaking, this is what I experience the most. This is where you DO have friends and family but you feel like they don’t love you. This sounds really dramatic as I write it but we all experience it. This can be something as simple as not being invited to a party or social event you feel like you should have been invited to. This one is hard to get around because you are in your head. It is important to remember to not set unrealistic expectations for how people love you. You need to believe they do love you. Also, envy is a terrible thing. Envy sets the stage for loneliness (one of the downsides of social media). Remember, study your own lawn. Don’t worry why their grass is so green. And just be thankful! Thank Him everyday for what you have and WHO you have.
Social Christian Loneliness– Where are my introverts? Shocker. Y’all are in the back. These are your socially awkward people, introverts and those with low self esteem. That all sounds bad but I promise…it’s not. My husband is an introvert and we complement each other well but it was a learning curve. So for those of you that struggle in this area, make sure to renew your mind daily. Have your quiet time with God. Ask Him to help you connect with others who see you as you are.
Spiritual Christian Loneliness– This is where you don’t feel close to God. Or maybe you feel like God let you down. Listen friends, if this is where you are, know that it’s ok. But know that relationship needs to be fixed asap. You need to work on your relationship with God. That’s the only way to get out of that loneliness. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Tell God how you feel even if it’s not pleasant! Trust me, He knows what you’re thinking anyway. You might as well say it. If you are struggling to talk to Him and you are not there yet, start a new habit of renewing your mind. This could be self driven or group driven Bible study or maybe just journaling. Write it down! Write Him letters.

I would love to tell you that my life is perfect and I never experience loneliness. I am extroverted and I seem confident. In reality, there are days that it is all a show. And it’s normally something pretty small that causes me to get that way because I am in my head. All I am saying, you are not alone. You are never alone because you have Him. He is literally a prayer away. And listen, when I’m struggling, I just start talking. He knows and He loves me for it.

Love you all (and I mean it),
Jennifer

May Newsletter

By Jennifer Robbins

On May 7, 2025

In News and Announcements, Newsletters

Hey everyone! Click on the link below for the May Newsletter.

May Newsletter

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On May 5, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! I hope you were all able to make it to Homecoming this year. I heard it was phenomenal (as usual). Listen, we know how to cook and eat, don’t we? I missed it this year for good reason. My nephew graduated from college and I, of course, wanted to go and support him in his accomplishment. So today’s topic…it would be a huge foul if I didn’t talk about Mother’s Day since it is this upcoming Sunday. So mommas…is motherhood a duty or a privilege? Let’s talk about it.

Several weeks ago, Logan came to me and informed me he wanted to go skydiving. He expected me to just lose it but instead, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Just be careful.” I mean, what could I really say that would stop him? Not to mention, I have thought about skydiving myself. I waited several weeks to tell my mom (his beloved granny) about him skydiving. She ABSOLUTELY lost it. In fact, she called Logan and asked him to rethink his choices. I had to have a talk with her and tell her that no matter what we said, he would do what he wanted. She sighed and said, “Well, he is your child.” 😆 Sigh.

As a kid, it was never my goal to stress her out. It’s just that I live my life as a “we only live once’” type of mentality. If it’s something I am interested in, then…I research it and do it or not. But I put it to bed one way or another. That’s Logan. But after that comment, I worried that I upset her more than I should have because parenthood is hard! We don’t have all the answers even when we are expected to have one. There are days where task after task sucks all the joy out of your day. Or your child acts out or is sick. And you just run on autopilot.

This is going to sound cliche but it is so important to find the joy in your life. And if you are a mother, especially find joy everyday in motherhood. YES!! Even those days your kid wants to skydive. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” You see…your child was given to you for you to take care of and raise. But your child doesn’t belong to you. Your child belongs to God. God entrusted you with their soul.

And the funny thing about kids, they are all unique (like fingerprints!). And as they grow, they change every way possible (physically, emotionally, mentally). As I am writing this, I think of a rubix cube. When one thing changes, three other things change. Think about that for just a second. Slowing down just a little and realizing that stuff you have to do, can wait. You don’t need a perfect house. You need to make memories.

So to answer the original question, is motherhood a duty or a privilege? Truthfully, both and I don’t think it a bad thing to admit that to ourselves. The word “duty” sounds negative but why? It IS our duty to raise, nurture, model faith and character, discipline and just be a positive influence. Is that a privilege as well? Yes. 100%. But it’s all a mindset…your mindset.

I absolutely love being a mother to Logan. He brings me happiness and joy that I never knew I needed. If you are reading this, you have a mother. This mother might be someone who legally (or not) adopted you or birthed you. Some of us have a lot of “mothers” in our life who would be there in a heartbeat if we called and needed them. This Mother’s Day, make sure to tell all the moms in your life how much they mean to you. Just like you, moms are also unique. Some ok skydiving and others don’t…and that’s ok.

Love you,
Jennifer