By Rev Donn:

As we come into September we are aware school has started, vacations have ended, and the demands of work are unrelenting.

I hope you had a fun, refreshing, renewing summer. For some that might mean relaxing, for others it may mean adventures, for some it may be time with family and friends, for others it may mean traveling, taking in new sights, sounds, tastes, and smells. But however your summer went, I hope you had some level of happiness, peace, and fulfillment.

Most of us are aware that tying our happiness to our circumstances will eventually lead to disappointment. We look forward to a week in the mountains or at the beach and it rains everyday. We look forward to being with family and we or they get sick and have to cancel. We look forward to being away and complications arise and we have to stay. I don’t’ have to recite the list, most of us have lived through such times.

The truth is most of us have our ‘happy places.’ It may not be a geographical location, it could be a certain time of day, or an activity (gardening, painting, playing music, playing sports, etc.), or people we love, sharing laughter and smiles.

One of the opportunities we have as Christians is understanding that our happy place isn’t tied to a time, a place, or even family and friends. As Christians we are able to celebrate our happy place through the presence of God. Not just at church or during communion, but everyday and in every moment. It’s not a place we have to go to or a moment we have to create, God has already taken care of that. All we have to do is notice.

God Bless