Author: revpaulcalkin

Gratitude helped me.

Gratitude for what was.

For what still is. 

And, for what can be.

Joy also helped me.

Seeking it.

And, continuing to seek it when it could barely be found.

Joy was small at first.

Sunshine.

A hug.

A conversation.

Coffee.

Joy maybe be small in the beginning, but seeking it matters.

Connections.

Connections with those who understood.

Connecting with people who were capable of of bearing witness to my pain.

Connecting with people who held space for me.

The right connections matter. 

They help immensely.

Many, many other things helped me too. Writing. Walking. Hiking. Riding my bike. Travel. Volunteering. Painting. Reading. And, so much more.

What has helped you?

~Beautiful Ramblings (on Instagram @beautiful.ramblings)

Peace Be With You. – Paul

Give me grace, O God, that I might extend to others a liberal grace, not allowing my own anger, pain, or frustration to flare out at those I casually encounter, who can not know what I am going through, and who are carrying burdens of their own to which I am also blinded. 

• From A Liturgy Upon Feeling Frustration at Others found in Every Moment Holy, Volume II

Peace Be With You. – Paul

From Jasmine Wilder – thetinyjoyproject 

Life teaches us the same lesson over and over, nothing stays. 

The seasons don’t, the feelings don’t, the people don’t. 

And yet, there’s comfort in that. 

Because it means nothing heavy lasts forever either. 

Change is the promise, not the punishment.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

This prayer is from the United Methodist Hymnal, #477.  These words are from Christina G. Rossetti, an English writer of the 19th century. 

“Open wide the window of our spirits, O Lord,

and fill us full of light;

open wide the door of our hearts,

that we may receive and entertain thee

with all our powers of adoration and love.

Amen.”

Peace Be With You. – Paul

From Rev. Beau Stringer:

Jesus was political.

Not by waving a flag or endorsing a candidate, but by announcing a kingdom that subverted every other. 

A kingdom where the last are first, the forgotten are found, and power bows to love.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

When the world outside is in disarray, and chaos abounds, it is vital that you live the life you dream on in your own little bubble.  

Make the world you want.  Kindness, love, patience, acceptance, and care.  Throw it around like confetti and create the world you will not see on the news.  

You cannot fix the world or change everyone’s mind but you can be the peace you seek.  And it is beyond vital that you do.  

It spreads like ever increasing ripples outwards and will find those like-hearted souls you need to reach.  

When the world is in unrest, be the peace.  

– The Silence Foundation.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

Here are the Prayers Of The People from Sunday, September 21, 2025. 

Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church.

Prayers Of The People

Gracious God, Creator of all that is, we lift our prayers to you.

We pray:

For care when we are placed in uncomfortable situations, 

When we are not sure where to go from here,

When our options are limited.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all those who face difficult moments every day, 

Whether of their own making or of another.

For all who face them with great dread and those who face them with determination.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all who allow pride to overcome compassion and care, 

Who seek to draw lines even when you, O God, erase them.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all who struggle in every moment, who yearn for times of peace and hope, 

Bring peace into their hearts, and persons of love into their lives.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all who have quit looking for good news, and for all who continue to say it,

For all who continually disrupt minds and lives, and for those who work to mend them.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all whose hearts and bodies are broken, bring new options for healing,

For all who open themselves to learning, loving, caring, one more time. 

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all who struggle when things do not go as planned, and for all who make new plans,

For all who are hesitant, and for all who just keep going on,

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

For all in need, for all who help,

For all of us at all times,

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers. Amen.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

From the poet John Roedel: 

Me: The world is completely out of control!

God: I know. It’s such an adventure, right? 

Me: No! It’s like being on a runaway train! I need to feel like I am in control of my life. 

God: You want to be in control? 

Me: Yes! 

God: You are living on a spinning wet rock of a planet that resides next to a constantly exploding fireball in the middle of an ever-expanding universe that is filled with mysteries beyond your wildest imagination. 

Me: Um, okay….

God: And on this planet that you are hurtling through the great expanse in – you are coexisting with billions of other people who have free-will and their own experiences that shape their perspectives and beliefs.

Me: Yeah…? 

God: And while all this is going on your soul is residing in a physical body that is such a miracle of delicate engineering that at any given moment could produce its last heartbeat.

Me: Right…

God: What is it about your existence that you think you have any control of?

Me: Um…

God: Come on – you know the answer to this. What can you control?

Me: How kind I am to people?

God: Yep and one other thing.

Me: What’s that?

God: How kind you are to yourself. Aside from that – most of everything else is a bit outside of your design. 

Me: This is a bit terrifying…

God: All great adventures are!

Art by Valery Rybakow

Peace Be With You. – Paul

God’s Will in 4 Easy Steps (by Divine Reverberations)

Okay, to be fair, the title is a bit misleading. I’m not sure there’s really anything easy about discerning God’s will. But, in the process of writing my next book, I have been thinking a lot about discernment of God’s will and how to make the ideas accessible to people. In the process, I have come across a few suggestions I share with you now.

1. Discerning God’s will is never about choosing between a good option and an evil option. You don’t have to discern God’s will when it comes to evil, injustice, oppression, or sin. Those are already revealed to you. Discerning God’s will is about choosing between two or more good options.
2. Discerning God’s will requires an open-handedness about all options on the table. This does not mean you cannot have preferences or desires. It means that to truly discern God’s will you must have a holy ambivalence. Own your desires. Name your wants. Let God know of your preferences. But then leave them to God. Between the time of your naming your wants and God revealing God’s will, you can work on this holy ambivalence and contentment.
3. Simplicity of life is key. A life of chaos and business will never allow us to hear God’s voice. We need simplicity, silence, and even solitude to hear God’s voice. God’s voice is a still, small voice. God will not shout at us. We must decide what is important in our lives and cut out anything that distracts. Only then can we hear God’s voice.
4. Community is essential. Because of our own proclivity to self-deception, we need people around us to help us discern God’s will. I always tell people, “You need someone to whom you can say anything and from whom you can hear anything.” This is a prerequisite to hearing God’s will. There needs to be an alternative, affirming voice. There needs to be loyal opposition.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

Spread kindness.

Seek peace.

Practice gratitude.

Love thy neighbor.

Live with intention.

Be the light. @thehomesteadfam (Mel Matthews)

Peace Be With You. – Paul