universally put it all together in seemingly limitless ways … and I find it undeniably divine.

Music is like a flower. How does it exist in such perfection . . . over and over and over again in nature?  There’s a song I sang in a church a year or so ago called “Why Flowers” by Allen Levi and the premise of the song is just that:

Why music? Why the ability for a collection of frequencies put together in some mathematical fashion we have all organized collectively to move us to tears? To hit just the right mood when we’re feeling happy, to lift our spirits when we’re feeling down, to deliver exactly the right message deep into souls when nothing else can? It’s amazing. I could go on and on.

A few weeks ago we drove over to Seattle to see one of my all-time favorite artists — Billy Joel! I think he is a spectacular song writer. I’ve always been drawn to those artists who not only write great music but fully embody it. His concert, of course, was awesome. What it must feel like to sing so comfortably in front of sixty thousand people! He seemed to barely blink an eye -- that’s a pretty unique perspective he has!

I have to say though, my favorite part of the concert was not just him but being among a fully-packed stadium all singing in unison to “Piano Man” and others. It was amazing! We all collectively knew this song and our differences became irrelevant along with all the little things that drove us crazy that day, and all the arguments … instead we sang a song — together. What a crazy thing.

What a gift.

I can find no other reason for a spectacular argument for not only God, but a God that is exceptionally loving and so beautiful that it almost hurts. Music is a slip behind the curtain. A chance to see and deeply feel the love of God in the most unique and, I believe, closest ways.

What a divine gift.

​In His Name, Jenny

that he was fascinated by the ocean. We spent a few years trying out different places to stay on the Oregon coast when he saw an ad for a place called Sunnyside Beach on Orcas Island. He jumped at the chance to stay there and thus began a tradition of summertime visits. Initially we rented the cabin weekly but over the years we were offered five years leases and we were there as often as possible.

​The cabin itself was very modest. It was originally part of the military housing at Fort Lewis just outside of Tacoma. After WWII was over the cabin was separated into two sections and sent up to Orcas on a barge. It was placed in a small cove next to Pole Pass with a beautiful west-facing view. There were four other cabins in the cove and we became friends with the other tenants and owners of the property. To us they were family. The summer, after my freshman year at the University of Oregon, was spent working on the dock, cleaning cabins, pumping gas and cooking burgers at the Deer Harbor Marina. Quite a change from my academic life! It was a great summer and it was hard to get back to school in September. My parents lived in Eugene, Oregon and continued to faithfully spend time on Orcas until age caught up with them and they could no longer travel. After their passing my brother and I continued to lease the cabin and shared the miracle of Orcas with our own children.
 
So now, many years later, we came to the conclusion that our time on Orcas was coming to an end. We made the difficult decision to give up our lease and say goodbye to the cabin. It had gotten more difficult to get up there, the cabin needed some major renovations and a lot of the people that we loved and spent time with had passed on. Additionally, the daughters, who had inherited the property when their father, longtime friend, Calvin, and his wife, Claire, were gone, were arguing about whether or not to sell the property. Many tears were shed as we tried to make a decision which was further complicated by the fact that our older sister is battling cancer and her future is uncertain. We felt that she deserves our attention now, our time and our love. We were comforted by the belief that the place was important but the memories of the people will live on in our hearts forever. So a couple of weeks ago my brother, John, and I went up to the island to empty the cabin. More importantly we needed to say a final goodbye to our parents.
 
Their request after their deaths was for us to co-mingle their ashes and scatter them in the waters of Puget Sound in front of the cabin. We had a lovely ceremony. We took a row boat and went about half a mile out from the cabin. No power boats were used as our mother was an environmentalist and would have appreciated the silence and the lack of dependence on fossil fuel. We prayed, remembered their lives and said goodbye for now. Ever since that day of remembrance, I have felt the presence of my parents every time I have visited the island. There is a small rock outcropping on the northside of our beach we called “The Point”. Whenever I went to Orcas I spent time there talking to my parents, praying, asking for their advice and their courage to help me face the challenges of life. Two weeks ago, as I sat once more on the rocky point in the early light of dawn, a sudden peace descended upon me. I knew for certain that the one I now need to turn to is Jesus. He is the one constant presence in my life. He is always there when I need Him. My parents will always have a special place in my heart but Christ is my Savior and I trust that He will always be there for me. He will give me strength and courage and direct my path.

In His Name, Ellen

Usually, I send Janet my blog the day it’s DUE! because that’s when I finish writing it — that’s how 99.3% of all my writing assignments have been written. This isn’t scheduled until June, but I’m writing it WAY early because my thoughts (and emotions) are bouncing all around the topic of friendship and need to be tacked down or I won’t get anything else accomplished (can’t say ‘done’ because I will hear the echo of my 7th grade English teacher, “‘DONE’ is for when to pull a turkey from the oven”.

‘Friendship’ is selected for four reasons, all to be presented here, from easiest to much less easy.

First, I have a beautiful book, Between Friends by Lynne Gerard, with amazingly poetic thoughts on friendship. I recently revisited this book and felt it would be good to find an opportunity to share a few. I hope they offer points of reflection, connection and perhaps remembrance.
​

Third, I am excited to share the exciting news (so excited I can’t provide a simile for excited) that Adult Discipleship, at the behest of a group of women, will present to Session, the idea of planning a Women’s Retreat for this fall!

(I write this the week before Session meets, so if for some strange reason, it’s not approved, I’ll have to edit this blog. And be sad. Very sad.)

Our last retreat was in 2014. Math is not an area of strength, but even I can see that it was 10 years ago, literally, a decade! That retreat was wonderful, delightful, enriching, uplifting, relaxing, and at the top of the descriptors: friendship building. Established friendships were refreshed; acquaintance friendships were deepened and new friendships were planted. Can you hear why I am so, so, so ... thrilled?
(Decided I better look up a synonym to excited.)

AND — it wasn’t only the women who attended who were blessed, the whole church benefitted from the renewed joy and genuine connections created through this time together.
​

Finally, I close this blog with the reason my mind wouldn’t settle this morning and I needed to process my feelings of sorrow and gratitude connected to the gift of friendship. I have had my dear friend Doreen on the church prayer list a few times over the past 18 months, since she was diagnosed for cancer. This morning, Doreen texted me to say she has requested no more treatments. She will now do pain mitigation until she is in pain no longer.

Doreen is the friend who invited me to come to church where, at 27 years old, I realized the ever-present love of Christ and was called to be baptized. I am forever grateful for her responding to Spirit’s whisper to invite me. Doreen is a true reflection of the vision of Love gathering her chicks under protective wings. And her wings just seem to always expand, making room to include all who Christ brings to her life.

I aspire to be such a friend.
​

In His Name, Yvette

plant can sprout and grow to nearly three feet tall in a matter of weeks under the right conditions. It amazes me how perfect each plant becomes in the shape and design God intended. I would like to think it was because I’m such a great gardener, but I’m only the caregiver.

My role is to make sure that each plant is getting the water, feed, and sunshine they need. When weeds try to invade, I need to remove them. When the plants are done flowering or fruiting, I need to remove the spent flowers or harvest the fruit so that new blooms can replace them. But even though I do the work, I cannot make anything grow. God provides the seed, soil, water, sun, all the conditions needed for each plant to grow. He is the one that decides which seed will grow and what fruit it will produce. He only gives me the tools to care for the harvest He provides.

Forty-one years ago, God planted a seed in my heart. My brother was the caregiver in this case. He had become a Christian and wanted to make sure my parents and I heard the Gospel. When God saved me, my brother’s first response was to help me find a church where I could grow and get involved.


God hasn’t stopped growing me over the years. There are times when I was weak and He lifted me off the ground, knocked off the dirt in my life, and propped me up so that I could grow stronger. There were times that He had to prune me because I would try to get ahead of God’s plan for my life and He had to put me on the right path. Through my life His care for me has been constant in a way that shows that I am His and that He loves me. He shows me His love in His Word everyday and each day as I go about living life.

When I get the chance to sit on my porch and enjoy the beauty of the gardens around me, I sometime wonder if God is pleased with my life. Is my life beautiful in His eyes? Have I been a good caregiver of the things He has given me to do? I can only believe that He is happy with me, because of the peace He gives me.

In Christ,
Stephanie Rogge