Goodness Weekly 6.26.23
“Like a pencil that draws one line at a time,
You are free to draw forth one breath…
And it does not have to be perfect in order to be a small, yet important step”
-Morgan Harper Nichols
What’s Good:
Our friend, worship leader, Snack Pak minister, and Shepherd, Kyle Fry spent his week last week serving Camp Star Trails. Kyle has been serving at this camp for children with cancer for 29 years. Camp Star Trails is a part of MD Anderson and is hosted on the grounds of Camp for All. Thank you Kyle for your commitment to spreading goodness this summer.
Want to give a shout out to the goodness you see? Send us a note at hello@sunset-ridge.org. We’d love to hear from you!
A Message from Jess
What is good fruit? How do you know?
What’s the difference between decisive and discerning?
These are some of the biggest questions I’ve navigated during a decade in ministry.
I was reflecting on how I was taught to drive, as my husband Nathan & I are currently teaching our oldest son. I’ll never forget a couple of the things that my dad taught me during the process:
Don’t hesitate.
Going slowly is as dangerous as going fast.
So—if you see me out on the road, you have my dad to thank for that.
Needless to say, I’ve never struggled to be decisive. I was raised to listen to my instincts and intuition at a very young age and the question “What is your gut telling you?” was a part of our family’s culture.
These tools have served me well, but I have often found that what I need more than decisive action is discernment.
To me, discernment is a daily practice of looking for the right next step, or the next faithful step as I shared in my message last night. This process is challenging as we tend to look to success in things like wealth, popularity, relevance, and power, as the way we understand that we are on the right path.
Often these things are actually increasing our anxiety, our scarcity-mindset, or our othering of our neighbor—none of which is good fruit.
Good fruit is wholeness, healing, peace, unity, love, generosity and compassion, and so when we are discerning we can ask ourselves-am I moving toward or away from these things?
I read once from author and pastor Rich Villodas that there are a couple of practical questions you can ask yourself in discernment:
Am I rushing?
Do I understand the options before me?
Have I considered my limits and the limits of those close to me?
Do I know my strengths and weaknesses?
Am I free or under pressure?
Have I processed the matter with others?
Have I attempted to grasp the implications (positive and negative) about this decision?
Which direction makes me most generous with my life?
This week I invite you to consider “What is my next faithful step?”
You don’t have to know the whole plan ahead, just simply take one deep breath, one step at a time. And remember, you are never, ever alone.
Love-Jess
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, June 26, 9:30 AM Storytime on the Lawn
Wednesday, June 27, 10 AM Women’s Fellowship
Sunday, July 2, 4:30 PM Supper Church
Tuesday, July 4 Campus Closed
Inhale:
Help me see the next right step
Exhale:
Give me patience to take one step at a time.
