By Rebecca Vickery

Have you ever noticed how after you learn a new word, you hear it everywhere?  It’s not as though people suddenly start using the word more often, but because you now understand it, you recognize it when you hear it.  It’s the same way that when you are unfamiliar with an area, you don’t know where you are when you look around.  After a few days of walking the streets, things start to be more familiar.  Then you start to recognize when you get to a part of town from a different way.  The routes connect in your mind.  “Oh, here we are.”  “I know where we are now.”  The lights have been turned on, so to speak.

Before you know God, the things of God are gibberish.  They are city streets that you don’t recognize, and routes you’ve never taken.  You don’t have a smart phone to tell you which way to go and so all of it just looks foreign.  Unknown.  But when you encounter God for the first time, the light goes on.  Suddenly thing that made no sense make all the sense that you could ever need.  His way connects all the routes so that you know which way you’re going.  Eventually it will all make sense in the context of your relationship with God.  

Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes.  That’s a lot of things.  ALL things.  So even when we were walking around in darkness, God still had a purpose for all of it.  I don’t know how to wrap my brain fully around such a concept, but what I do know is this:  God is trustworthy.  He is the thing that makes all other things make sense.  So as a person who believes in Jesus-the way, the truth and the life, I see God’s handiwork all the time.  

When we were first starting out and had barely any money, I would pray before going to the grocery store.  There was one time we needed to buy a lot of ingredients, and I had taken coupons for everything possible.  I had 18.70 to spend.  We got everything we needed in the cart and it came to 18.65.  I laughed and marveled at God, who would not only take care of it, but leave me a few cents extra.  So I started to recognize that even when it seemed impossible that we would be able to afford what we needed, I didn’t need to worry, because God would take care of it.  Future grocery store visits would be less an exercise in faith, and more a peaceful stride.  “I know where we are.”

The more I knew that God could get me through the little things, the more aware I became that He could deliver me through the harder things.  In Proverbs 31:25, it says of a woman of great worth, “Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come.”  She doesn’t laugh at the time to come because she has grown bitter or resentful.  She hasn’t stored up all her anxieties in her heart.  She has cast them on the Lord.  She knows that it doesn’t matter what she comes up against.  She will be delivered from all of it.  She recognizes that there will be a way even when there seems to be no way, because the One who directs her way will be with her.  

I don’t know how much time it took for me to start being more confident of who God is, and who I am to God.  I do know that I still have so much to learn.  But the more time I spend with God, the more my vocabulary increases.  The more words I recognize in use.  As I continue to move and grow in Him, and see Him answering prayers, I become more inclined to want to bring him those harder prayer requests, those things that are so heavy on your soul that the longer you carry them yourself, the more bent over you are in burden.  I want to laugh at the days ahead.  I want to finally have that yoke that is light and easy.  The only way I can do this is to spend more time with Him so I can understand His ways better. 

Perhaps you’d like to join me in praying for this.  Lord, I know that so many times I have been inclined to stress out over the future.  To be anxious for tomorrow, even though you say today has enough worries of its own.  IT DOES LORD.  Forgive my anxious ways, and help me to trust you today.  Until the day when I may laugh at the days to come, because you will have defeated my unbelief.  LORD, I believe.  Help my unbelief.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

By Peggy Potter

Come Away my Love, my Fair One   Song of Solomon 2:10

Gary and I , being convicted in our spirits, gave up on all the plans we
made for a September 12th, 2025 Hawaiian-themed wedding. Instead we had on
April 3rd 2025,  in our new apartment together, a quick do it yourself wedding
officiated by a fun, friendly Justice of the Peace named Iris, who was a
bit discombobulated from jet lag from a return trip from Australia less
than 2 days before ! It was certainly a unique, yet sweet and memorable
experience, which did mean a lot to both Gary and I.

Instead of a Hawaiian wedding muumuu, this bride wore dress pants, a
pretty white blouse and a purple vest, as Gary's favorite color is purple.
Instead of a Hawaiian shirt, khakis and sandals, Gary looked breathtakingly
handsome in his dress shirt , pants, and leather jacket. Instead of a church
service with lots of family and friends, our DIY service had 2 in attendance;
my son Rob & his dog Annah.

Instead of a luau reception, Gary and I celebrated our wedding dinner at our favorite restaurant,
the Grand Buffet in Essex Junction. Instead of a beach honeymoon, there was moving, lots of back-
breaking, exhausting moving!  Boxes, storage units, 2 U-Hauls, but thankfully
our Heavenly Father did provide much needed help: Gary's brother Craig & his
Bible-study buddies, my son Rob, along with pick-up trucks and SUV's!

We needed all the help we could get, as I was only able to take a few days off from
work and since Gary had just started his new full-time job, he couldn't get any
time off !  Thankfully his hours made it possible to work on the move, but he
could not get adequate sleep and neither could I, so we were both very sleep-
deprived and tired. Catch us the little foxes (Song of Solomon v 2:15)!

Our fatigue caused us to become a bit short with each other, but praise Jesus
we have enough of His Love and Holy Spirit's wisdom in us both to recognize
the need for forgiveness and love before the "little foxes" could cause serious
harm to our relationship! Praise Jesus, I have learned great patience and understanding through all this.
We celebrate and praise Father God for each little accomplishment and victory !
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And although it was no beach honeymoon, which may still come in the future,
we "Came Away" (v 2:10) this past Sunday, when we collaborated on a new recipe
for dinner and relaxed that evening by just sitting and taking in a DVD movie
together! That magic moment enabled us to fall in love and feel closeness
once again , praise Jesus !!

By Donna Churchill



Jesus loves you……….this is Basic Christianity 101, right? Yet it’s probably the greatest foundational truth that people struggle with.  If we really believed this, it would change everything about the way we lived and how we interacted with others.

Recently, I was struggling with this truth. I was having a “down” day, a self-pity day and I really couldn’t fathom why Jesus loved me, why He put up with me, why He continually reached out to me with His grace. I knew I was failing in a specific area and was thinking there was really no hope for change. Ever have one of those days?
 
I thought of the Scripture in Genesis 6:5-6 that says, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” 
 
This Scripture doesn’t mean that God regretted His creation. It signifies a deep sorrow or pain for the sin and wickedness that man continually chose to live in. This was right before God made the decision to destroy the earth with the flood.
 
I wonder, at times, if God ever regrets that He made me? I know, of course, that He doesn’t. His Word is clear on that.

 But sometimes I lose my way and don’t see clearly. I know my heart is wicked and my attitude and thoughts can take me in directions I should not go and really don’t want to go. That particular “down” day happened to be a Sunday, so I was at church in the morning and instead of leaving encouraged as I usually do, I allowed myself to continue the downward spiral. I spent the afternoon with my kids and grandkids at our weekly Sunday Family Dinner. That particular Sunday we were having it in the dining room of the complex I live in. We all had access to my apartment to use for bathroom trips and filling up water bottles, etc (as trivial as this is, this particular information is important to the story).

Anyway, everyone left about 4pm and I spent the rest of the day in my apartment. As I walked into my bedroom later that night to get ready for bed, I noticed the plant in my bedroom looked a little droopy. I brought it to the sink to water it and I happened to notice something blue in the soil. I dug around and found the Jesus figurine!! Pictured at the top of this blog)! I was quite shocked and a little freaked out because I could not imagine how it got there and more importantly, who had access to my apartment to put it there?? I know only 3 people have keys to my apartment and there was one that might be a possibility, but…….

After the initial shock wore off, I decided to just leave that thought and continue to get ready for bed. As I pulled down the blankets on my bed, I found another figurine on my sheet!!! Suddenly, I knew! I knew of only one group of people that would prank me like this – my family, specifically my grandkids! And they all had access to my apartment that afternoon.
 
Since that Sunday, I have found a total of 16 figurines!! I’ve been told by my grandkids that there are still many more to be found and I could possibly die before I find them all!!
So, why am I telling you all this? Because as cute as this is and as much as I love my grandkids for doing this (the forethought and effort that went into it, especially when none of them share my faith), the greater truth that I have been consistently reminded of is, yes,  Jesus loves me! And the forethought and effort that He puts into consistently reminding me of this every day of my life is staggering! As if Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t enough to convince me, God, in His mercy, moves in my life continually to remind me. In His mercy, he moved upon the hearts of my grandkids to set this in motion for that particular day, just when I needed it!
 
His love has surrounded me these past few weeks and this very foundational truth has lifted my spirits and encompassed me every time I find another figurine in a place I never expected. And isn’t that always where His love is found or discovered by us – in a place we never expected? In a place where we feel such sinfulness in our hearts, thoughts, attitudes and even actions? In a place where we are so consumed with thoughts of ourselves that we are almost blind to anything else? In a place where we know we don’t deserve it, but He gives it anyway.
 
What does the Word say?
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, or angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39
“…..so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

I am working on letting that thought and His love go down deep in my spirit. I want to live in a place where I truly believe it, absorb it, allow it to change me and ultimately, change my actions. I am so grateful that He is continually reaching out to me with His love, no matter (or maybe, especially) how unexpected the form it takes!!

Believe it - Jesus loves you!

By Peggy Potter Balaun

[37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:37-39

I recently moved to Essex and circumstances made it necessary for Gary and I to be married by a justice of the peace on 4/3/2025.
While we were preparing to move his bed, Gary needed help from his brother and his pick-up truck. 

Gary had a typical batchelor pad: messy, but with his own sense of organization. Gary dreaded his brother's criticism! Sadly, I did not understand why Gary asked me to be there and feeling in the way, I tiredly and curtly said "Seriously Gary, why do you want me here?"


I went back to our apartment and  realized my horrible mistake: Gary wanted me there for moral support as he felt humiliated by his brother's remarks !

Afterwards, I admitted to Gary I was wrong & begged his forgiveness which he graciously gave!  We have no closer neighbors than those we love & live with ! Sometimes loving our neighbor, or husband to be, is just being there !

Blessings, Peggie Potter-Balaun 

       
By Joyce Pelletier
     John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very Truly I tell you; no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Nicodemus came to Jesus one night with a deep determining question. He was a man of great wealth. He was a member of the Jewish Ruling council. He had to have thought of his question for some time.
​
     Finally one night he went to Jesus at night. One might wonder why he would choose to do so in such a hidden manner. Was there something he was trying to hide from? Was it pure curiosity or just a passing in the night question?

     On a quick side note. During our Tuesday Zoom group, the word hidden came up in a questioning moment. This word comes up frequently in God’s Word and now our conversation. ‘The word ‘Hidden’ seems like a devious or secretive description. Not necessarily so! In God’s word it comes up so we know there is something deeper in the meaning of what we share for digging deeper. Sometimes it means that something is hidden because it might be a pleasant surprise. Maybe it is hidden because it’s a painful experience and we don’t want to talk about it. Most of what I see in the Word is there is a deeper meaning of something important that God wants us to know. This puts many new twists in its meaning. It sure can bring up a deeper meaning as we share. It comes up mainly as something surprisingly special or good.

      Nicodemus was well off. He had all he needed in life. He had an open and hungry heart. He had a prominent position that certainly didn’t need an official announcement. He was deeply curious about a new term in their culture that needed clarity and stature. He also was hungry to know the deeper things of God. From what I read about him, he was educated and understood the law and had a tremendous force inside stretching him to the point of just needing to know. I relate to this. I’m an active, nosey, and curious kind of person. Sometimes ‘I need to know.’ At times God humors me and lets me know and then I find out that it’s just not what I thought it would be. Being curious isn’t always what you expect, and quite often when I let God do the planning to tell me, it’s a better situation. I really like surprises, so one would think it was better to wait on God.  

     “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher, who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus simply and directly replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  Could he have been saying “Things are hidden because some are not willing to accept those hidden things of God or we’re just not ready to hear something yet. God just might be preparing us for a new beginning of being born again. Sometimes when things just don’t work, we welcome a second chance with we miss the boat the first time. And maybe it’s just that we need to experience things that we just can’t predict.
 
     There’s that word again… Born again. This term wasn’t shared much in the time of this conversation. It was a new reference and this hidden term needed to make it’s appearance. 

     Boldly, Nicodemus asked, ‘How can someone be born again, when they are old? Surely, they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb!’ He made some great points. I would have liked to meet Nicodemus.
     
     Jesus answers as only He could answer. “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the  kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

     Nicodemus is somewhat beside himself. He had everything he needed and yet there was a new hunger inside him that boggled his mind.

     I often contemplate being born again. I’ve been so blessed to have Jesus as my Lord. I continue to see wonder in being born again, especially when new hidden things come to the surface to surprise me. The new life that Jesus gave me so many years ago is something reveals the hunger to know more about the amazing hidden things of God. I know it is that never ending joy he gives us as a free gift. Just because he loves us.

     John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. We are not condemned, but here is an offering that gives us a chance to understand it’s true meaning of being born again.  Bible study that day taught us what the meaning of ‘what is hidden’ isn’t cheating, or lies, it’s a new joy of rebirth and a better way to learn the depth of God’s love. I love learning new and wonderful things. When I need correction and God reveals that to me in using ‘hidden’ ways, I can look at things with an open heart and accept the correction, not as condemnation, but as His forgiving promise. Pray with me…
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     Jesus, continue to show those amazing ‘hidden things in my life. Help me to embrace them to make me more conscious of your amazing love. Help me to bring this awareness with me wherever I go. In your precious name, AMEN!

By Donna Churchill 
One of the first characteristics I think of when I think of the Lord is Provider. After my husband died over twenty years ago, the Lord promised me He would always be my Provider. Over the years His provision has taken many forms, not just financial. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again in providing. I have to admit, even after all this time, sometimes I am still amazed at how He does that. I’d like to share some recent provisions that left me in awe of Him all over again! 

I love snow; I truly do! It is so beautiful! I love the big, fat, fluffy flakes that fall slowly from the sky when the world seems to go completely silent. Growing up in Vermont, it was never much of a problem to see those kinds of flakes, but over the last few years, our winters have been very different. Even this winter where there has seemed to be snow aplenty, we have not seen many snowfalls with the big fluffy flakes. A few weeks ago, I expressed to the Lord how I would just love to see those big flakes at least once this winter. A few days later, my work day was unexpectedly canceled, so I was home for the day. I walked into my den, sat in my chair preparing to spend some time with the Lord. I happened to turn in my chair and as I looked out the window, I was speechless! Great big, fat, fluffy snowflakes were falling slowly from the sky! I was mesmerized and awed again with my Savior. I sat for at least ½ hour expressing my thanks and gratitude to Him, watching those big, fat, fluffy flakes fall. His faithfulness and provision given in such a small thing! 

This next provision - for a few reasons, I can’t share many details, but I can share that I was concerned about a financial need. I’m not usually one to worry about these things, but there was absolutely nothing I could do about this particular need and this concern had turned to worry. I confessed that worry to the Lord and expressed that He had never let me down and I knew He wouldn’t this time either. I had no idea how He would come through, but I knew I needed to trust Him in a way I hadn’t had to in a long time. He proved Himself faithful again. A check that I was expecting came and it was for almost 6x the amount I was expecting, covering the expense that I had!! His faithfulness and provision given in a big thing! 

This last provision, to me, is the greatest of these three. I have been walking with the Lord for a little over 50 years (yes, I’m that old!) In all that time, I have dealt with a besetting sin that I have prayed and prayed about. I had some revelation about it through the years and there were times of confession, but I never felt I could see the root of it. Over the last couple of years, things escalated and this sin affected a relationship I had with a dear friend; we’ve been friends for almost 40 years and her grace covered me time and time again. Over the last six months, she and I have had a few conversations regarding this and we have prayed together about it. I am so blessed that God provided such a friend to walk with me through this and that she did not abandon our friendship. She would have had every reason to. Just a few weeks ago, the Holy Spirit revealed the root of this sin! What a day of rejoicing that was for me! I was able to see what I couldn’t see before, because now I was ready to see it and repent, ask forgiveness and trust in the change God was doing in my heart. I am so thankful that God’s discipline is evidence of His love and His love never fails! His faithfulness and provision given in the greatest thing – a changed heart! 
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I pray that these experiences of mine and testimonies of God’s provision and faithfulness have encouraged you. His love and heart toward us desires to provide all things for us – from the small things to the big things to the greatest thing! Don’t stop asking, don’t stop trusting and don’t stop believing! He is faithful and He will provide! 
He truly is Jehovah-Jireh, our provider, in all things!