Blog Archive 2021
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
The Day After
December 27, 2021 |
Every year, I look forward to Christmas. I love the trees, the lights, visits with friends, and the cookies! I spend hours shopping for that perfect gift. Christmas movies, Christmas music, Christmas stories—I am a sucker for them all! I could list dozens of my favorite things for this time of year, but one thing I never seem to get giddy ... read more
|
|
Carley Walker
|
Christmas Traditions
December 20, 2021 |
Amidst this holiday season we have been able to get back to some of our old traditions! One of which is our Ornament Fundraiser to support camp scholarships. We sold 100 ornaments which were made and donated by the Everson family who own Custom Den ... read more
|
|
Kent Kimball
|
Finding Optimism
December 13, 2021 |
Sometimes I’m a little pessimistic. Yet some people are optimists all the time! Take David for example. Saul’s army was stubbornly chasing David with one goal: removing his head. And David’s own son Absalom was hell-bent on capturing the throne from his father ... read more
|
|
Chris Gray
|
The Legend of the Candy Cane
December 6, 2021 |
The legend says that there was a time in Europe when any public display of Christianity was forbidden. No crosses or Bibles were allowed. One old man, a candy maker by profession, was very upset by this. He loved God and couldn’t stand to not share that ... read more
|
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
Safe in the Storm
November 28, 2021 |
Two weeks ago our electricity went out. The wind blew a tree down across a power line in our neighborhood. As we sat there in the dark, we decided to make the best of the situation. It was a great time to spend time together without some of the regular ... read more
|
|
Emily Rogers
|
Emily Post and the Bible
November 22, 2021 |
Thanksgiving…ah, what warm, wonderful memories: beautifully set table with candles and a lovely Autumn centerpiece. Our much-beloved auntie brought individual candles that were set before each place (boy and girl Pilgrims, turkeys, cornucopias), specially folded ... read more
|
|
Pastor Neal Nybo
|
A Snowstorm Turns Medical Residents Into Kindness Heroes
November 15, 2021 |
We picture medical residents as highly trained, overworked, exhausted people. They say that is an accurate image. In addition to all that, we can now add snow removal and driveway clearing, at least in this case.
This story expresses a truth found in scripture. I’ll ... read more |
|
Kierstie Renninger
|
In All Things, Give Thanks
November 9, 2021 |
Does this season of thanksgiving put you in a reflective mood? I know for me personally, moving into the holiday season allows me to take pause, reflect, and praise the many blessings around me. Holidays can also be bittersweet reflecting on sweet memories ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Forgiveness
November 3, 2021 |
Forgiveness. Oh boy, this is a tough one. The apostle Paul wrote “Christ died for me before I deserved it, not because I deserved it”. Can I forgive someone in my heart just because it’s my duty to forgive? This is the most difficult challenge in my Christian journey ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
One People, One Body
October 25, 2021 |
I can always count on people to disagree. We are so good at not agreeing, that we often enter into a conversation expecting some push-back on whatever idea we have. Even people unified behind a cause will disagree on how to best drive that cause forward ... read more
|
|
Brandie Edwards
|
Deep Breaths
October 18, 2021 |
In the beginning of everyone’s life something simple yet amazing happens. Air enters your lungs, and you feel the Breath of Life enter into every fiber of your being.
Breath. What is it and where does it come from? For ... read more |
|
Chris Gray
|
The Empty Chair
October 12, 2021 |
Mandy Marie asked her pastor, James Lettinger, to come and pray with her father Bob. When the minister arrived, he found Bob lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. And there was an empty chair sitting beside his bed. The minister assumed that the ... read more
|
|
Janet Starkey
|
Bless them. Change me.
October 4, 2021 |
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
This week a friend died. I’m sad. I’m angry. I’m not angry with the person, but rather the circumstances that led to this ... read more |
|
Emily Rogers
|
Seasonal Adjustments
September 27, 2021 |
Perhaps I put a bit too much emotion into the act of picking tomatoes, but, darn it! I think the tomatoes know that soon I shall cut off their water supply and dig the roots that bring their very lifeblood! Their poor leaves have already begun to wilt and grow ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Common Sparrows
September 21, 2021 |
I have always liked birds. I love all the seagulls we have in the fall. I am so excited whenever I see a hummingbird or a quail. Flamingos, birds of paradise, finches, bluebirds, pheasants, and turkeys—the list goes on. The variety of birds around the world is ... read more
|
|
Kent Kimball
|
Climb On!
September 13, 2021 |
I used to be a mountain climber. It was great fun and wonderful exercise; it took me to beautiful and strange places around the globe. I learned about other people, languages, and cultures, and I learned about faith. It wasn’t universal or ambient faith; rather ... read more
|
|
Kierstie Renninger
|
Seasons of Change
September 5, 2021 |
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and ... read more
|
|
Brandie Edwards
|
God Makes Me Laugh
August 30, 2021 |
Just the title alone could be considered blasphemy; however, I assure you that it is not. In this blog, I will show you that since we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), humor must be one of those traits.
Does God have a sense of humor? ... read more |
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
The Privilege of Prayer
August 24, 2021 |
I count it a privilege when someone asks me to pray for them. If the person in need is a Christian, they already know that God answers prayers and need someone to come beside them to help them shoulder the burden. ... read more
|
|
Chris Gray
|
Words of Wisdom
Take 3 August 16, 2021 |
The world today, at times, can seem like a cold place which can lead to a miserable attitude. There will always be enough injustice and irritation to keep us in the wilderness. Especially if we choose to complain, criticize, doubt, and rebel. ... read more
|
|
Janet Starkey
|
Max Lucado Wisdom
August 9, 2021 |
A few weeks ago, Pastor Sheryl Kinder-Pyle asked us if we were someone who worries about the past, the present or the future. She asked us to raise our hands to indicate which type of worrier we were; I didn’t raise my hand. I didn’t raise my hand because ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Shameful Coverings
August 2, 2021 |
Shame is such an awful thing for the human soul. Every person I have ever met has had some level of shame, and I would venture to say that every person on the planet has carried shame at some point in their life. We live in a diverse world of cultures, languages, ... read more
|
|
Carley Walker
|
Everyday Disciples
July 27, 2021 |
I had a conversation with a friend today about a couple of local Christian schools. She was asserting that there is a difference in intake philosophy between the different systems. I was curious to hear more about this so we continued to talk about how one ... read more
|
|
Kent Kimball
|
Good Things to Come
July 20, 2021 |
Loss. Loss of a loved one, a job, a friend, a pastor. We all experience loss. The first book of the Bible that was ever written is all about loss. It’s not Genesis; it’s the story of Job. He had everything and then nothing. His emotions were like a train journey ... read more
|
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
Sacrifice . Thankfulness . Pride
July 12, 2021 |
Last week, my family and I were on vacation. We made it a “Staycation” where we would revisit some places we haven’t been for a while and discover some new sites near home. ... read more
|
|
Emily Rogers
|
Linking God and Country
July 6, 2021 |
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” So begins the second paragraph of our Declaration of ... read more
|
|
Brandie Edwards
|
Ramblin' Rod Ramblins
June 28, 2021 |
Ramblin’ Rod was my childhood hero! He hosted a children’s morning cartoon show that we’d watch before school. He made us WANT to go to school, talking about how great it was going to be at school that day. I even met him in person on my birthday, March 31st, ... read more
|
|
Chris Gray
|
Tapestry of Life
June 22, 2021 |
Life is a colorful tapestry of circumstances. I like the imagery of our lives being like tapestries; the picture of who we are today is made up of thousands of threads woven together to create something rich with meaning. But what does the back of that tapestry look ... read more
|
|
Janet Starkey
|
Change
June 14, 2021 |
Change - and a big change for the church. By now you all should have received Pastor Craig’s news. We have entered a new season. And while things change around us one thing remains constant: God and His promises ... read more
|
|
Carley Walker
|
Jesus, Children & Fatherhood
June 8, 2021 |
It’s hard to believe that the year is already half over and that Father’s Day is right around the corner! As I was reflecting on what to write, I was hit with a conversation I recently had about Jesus. Jesus was never a father. However, he is often referred to as a son ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Foolish Messengers
May 31, 2021 |
I am often amazed by the men and women in the Bible. They were handpicked by God Himself, called for a special purpose, for a certain time to be God’s messengers. We call them heroes, prophets, apostles, saints, and sometimes we call them holy. It is as if we ... read more
|
|
Kent Kimball
|
God's Faithful Reminder
May 25, 2021 |
Last Sunday evening we went to a Spokane Indians baseball game with one of our daughters, her husband, and three of our grandchildren. It was the first sporting event we’ve attended in well over a year. We spilled popcorn, danced the Macarena, got rained on a ... read more
|
|
Emily Rogers
|
Getting Out of My Funk
May 17, 2021 |
I’m so frustrated lately! But, it’s time to suck it up, Buttercup! What useful tool can a Christian girl use to turn this funk around?
“Once the nerves have been cut or damaged, they have to regrow from the spinal column out at a rate of about one inch per ... read more |
|
Blake Miller
|
Fasting to Hear & Receive a Word from the Lord
May 10, 2021 |
I was recently given a book by my Aunt Michelle, or aunt Miki as we've all called her since we were young. I was flipping through the pages when I saw something that really got me thinking and understanding the usefulness of fasting. I began to think about ... read more
|
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
A Mother's Day Reflection
May 3, 2021 |
Mother’s Day has to be one of my favorite holidays because it honors one of the two most important people in most people’s lives. Whether the woman who raised us was biological or step, adopted or foster, or another family member, mothers have been given ... read more
|
|
Chris Gray
|
Word of Wisdom 2
April 26, 2021 |
In my last blog I talked about a journal I have kept over the years filled with all kinds of “Quotable Quotes”, poems, stories, or things that really struck a chord. This next little tidbit I came across many years ago. Back then I found it humorous and got a good chuckle. ... read more
|
|
Janet Starkey
|
Multi-tasking Fail
April 19, 2021 |
We take turns in providing the devotion for our weekly staff meeting. My turn was last week. I forgot. Until our meeting began and I was on the spot it was easy to blame my forgetfulness on being too busy, or to use one of my favorite excuses- that I was multi-tasking ... read more
|
|
Carley Walker
|
A Reflection on my Favorite Scripture
April 12, 2021 |
Recently, the staff was asked to provide their favorite scripture. It took no time for me to determine that I would send Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a ... read more
|
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Broken Fences
April 5, 2021 |
On January 13, 2021 we were hit with a destructive windstorm in our area. All over the city there were trees on houses, trees blocking roads, broken power lines, and much of the city was without power for a few days. Thankfully the damage at my house ... read more
|
|
Craig Catlett
|
God’s Pain, God’s Love
March 30, 2021 |
As we celebrate Easter together, perhaps we can reflect for just a moment on the fact that not only does God love us, but he feels pain and grieves for us as well ... read more
|
|
Blake Miller
|
Planting Seeds of Faith into the World
March 23, 2021 |
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you.” We must first plant a seed of faith so that God can grow us in him so that we may flourish in His never ending love and Eternal life. I think of planting seeds in the springtime and having all the right conditions ... read more
|
|
Chris Gray
|
The Cross Room
March 15, 2021 |
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give ... read more
|
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
Spring is in the Air!
March 9, 2021 |
Spring is in the air! You can start to feel spring’s imminent return with each passing day as the sun starts to peek through the clouds more and more with each passing day. Winter’s gray skies, cold, wind, rain or snow, and short days are sometimes hard to endure ... read more
|
|
Kent Kimball
|
March 1, Happy First Day of Spring!
March 1, 2021 |
Happy first day of spring, everybody! Bulbs will be popping up, snowfalls and piles of snow are almost gone, dogwood trees are about to flower, and temperatures are on the rise. March 1, the first day of spring, has finally arrived. But many believe the ... read more
|
|
Janet Starkey
|
Learning to Live Without Worry
February 22, 2021 |
I’ve decided that worrying is a terrible thing and it really does no good, and this past Saturday night was a good example of it’s futility.
Last week I finished a new design for our church badges - something that will be used by staff, Deacons, ushers, greeters and ... read more |
|
Bonnie Piovesan
|
Downhill Victory
February 17, 2021 |
I have been fighting fear most of my life. As a teen and into my 20’s, my days were controlled by worry and anxiety. My body and my mind were in this never-ending cycle of fear that robbed me of strength, energy, and hope. In my 30’s, I was able to seek out some help ... read more
|
|
Emily Rogers
|
Sharing His Love
February 8, 2021 |
“Chris! Chris! Wait till you work tomorrow! You’ll get to see the busy beehive of activity going on at the church! Oh, it’s so exciting to see!”
I was so thrilled to see the North Idaho College Children’s Center staff scurrying around Krueger Hall last Monday that I just had to share my ... read more |
|
Carley Walker
|
Learning to Share
February 1, 2021 |
By now many of you have probably heard that the NIC Children’s Center will be utilizing some of the 1st Pres campus for their operation after experiencing the devastating loss of their building use located at the NIC campus. The building was heavily damaged by ... read more
|
|
Blake Miller
|
Joy
January 25, 2021 |
Joy Others Yourself
When I was younger I remember my mom telling me that at the start of each day I needed to do something for Jesus, others, and then myself. Doing those things in that order will give you Joy in you ... read more |
|
Chris Gray
|
Patience
January 18, 2021 |
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
Waiting is one of God’s tools to get our attention. In some ways, the Bible’s title could be The Great Wait. The cast of characters could be the Great Waiters. ... read more |
|
Stephanie Rogge
|
Hope
January 11, 2021 |
I had to turn off the news again. I don’t want to be ignorant of what is going on in the world, but I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious again. I needed to turn my focus away from things I cannot do anything about and focus on the One that is in control of all things, again.
... read more |
|
Kent Kimball
|
My New Year's Resolution
January 4, 2021 |
This time of year it seems that everyone has a new goal, a resolution. Sometimes I get conflicting directions about how to develop a goal. Make it big! Shoot for the stars, and if I miss my goal, I may still hit the moon! Others say the opposite: make the goal small, reasonable,
... read more |