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Stephanie J Thompson

exploring sacred connections with God and each otherr

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five minute friday

Recognizing the Need to Breathe Fresh Air into Others

January 15, 2021 by Stephanie 8 Comments

There is nothing I dread more than calling my health insurance. Years of medical bills which lead to much time and energy invested in clarifying, disputing and preauthorizations took its toll. In fact, I my husband and I joke that my decision to leave my career to stay at home was to resolve insurance snafus. […]

Filed Under: five minute friday, Sacred Connections Tagged With: grace, health insurance, human value, kindness, validation

The Sacred Way Christmas Cards Speak to Us

January 9, 2021 by Stephanie 5 Comments

They tell stories. Every December, the stream of Christmas photo cards of friends and family trickle into my mailbox. In this age of digital communication, the paper photos become more than traditional comforts. They provide a liturgical lens through which I see God working. The photos remind me what’s been going on behind the scenes. […]

Filed Under: five minute friday, Sacred Connections

Why I Embrace the Thrill of Hope in a Year That Didn’t Conclude as Expected

December 20, 2020 by Stephanie 7 Comments

Sometimes the reminder of why we celebrate Christmas looks like nothing expected. In fact, it may feel like the sting of sin in the midst of dazzling decorations. And that’s when we sit in the tension of living in a place that is aching toward reconciliation and restoration. Weary souls are still seeking their soul’s […]

Filed Under: Advent, five minute friday

How Adoring Jesus Goes Beyond the Lyrics of a Christmas Carol

December 11, 2020 by Stephanie 6 Comments

“O Come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore him O come let us adore him Christ the Lord.” The chorus evokes warm nostalgic memories and ecclesiastic connection to Christmas’s past as the words pour from our lips. There is reason for that: for the church and […]

Filed Under: five minute friday

Why I Am Grateful for Unexpected Blessings

November 27, 2020 by Stephanie 9 Comments

Thanksgiving brought about unexpected changes to our “traditional” gathering. I use that term loosely because my family has never celebrated holidays in a specific manner from year to year. Chalk it up to a history of afflictions, work schedules, family locations, and a general recognition that “new” can be a blessing, we recognized the opportunity […]

Filed Under: five minute friday

Why “Cancel” Can Yield to “New”

November 14, 2020 by Stephanie 10 Comments

Disruption to plans is not always a welcomed guest. We find comfort in familiar places. Routines provide opportunities to remember our story: individual and collective. They help inform identity as we move about this side of Heaven. However, 2020 has thrust us toward recognizing that routines and expectations may change. What then? Several years ago, […]

Filed Under: five minute friday

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When my first child was born 20 plus years ago, I envisioned taking just a few years off from my role as Pastor of Youth and Family. While that didn’t exactly unfold as expected, God used my gifts and skills in other ways. Read More…

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  • Thirteen Years Flew by in a Blink But God Was Aware of it All
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s2thomp

Oh my goodness! I made red lobster biscuits as a l Oh my goodness! I made red lobster biscuits as a loaf! So good!
Lena ( who is vegan) prepared an herbed butter roa Lena ( who is vegan) prepared an herbed butter roasted turkey. We collaborated on vegan side dishes including rolls (amazing!), sauteed green beans with shallots, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and of course dessert. Thankful for her culinary coaching and help today. How is your Thansgiving?
My recent reads. Three female authors who expanded My recent reads. Three female authors who expanded my recognition of the character of God and what it means to belong to the bold sisterhood of image bearers. I long to have their words coursing through my veins at all times.
“Are these good for baking?” asked the man sha “Are these good for baking?” asked the man sharing space in front of the bin of potatoes. I had navigated around the maze of vegetable stands in the produce department of the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon, and arrived here at this moment. As I looked up, he continued, “I’m new to this.”

 I answered his question, my mind reeling with the scenarios playing out in his life right now. He appeared in his 60’s. Did his spouse recently die? Divorce? “Sure. These are what I use. There is another bin over with more,” I replied as I pointed away from where we stood. 

My answer felt inadequate to what was conveyed seconds before. But it is what he needed. Humanity. A recognition that we see and hear each others as companions in this place wrought with both beauty and pain.

As he parted, he thanked me and I remembered: I have encountered this situation before. Another time in a different store, an elderly man asked me where to find an item and commented that he had never done the grocery shopping before. I walked away wishing I could do more than identify an aisle.

These encounters remind me that “we are all walking each other home.” At anytime, any one of us is harboring invisible struggles. None of us is immune to the realities that we live in a place this side of Heaven. 

But we have the opportunity to offer grace and love in the most ordinary of moments. We share out of what has been given to us. It’s not ours to hoard.

Read more: https://stephaniejthompson.com/2020/10/27/seeking-gods-transformation-of-our-interactions-with-others/  #graceupongrace #sacredconnections. #loveyourneighbor
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s2thomp

Oh my goodness! I made red lobster biscuits as a l Oh my goodness! I made red lobster biscuits as a loaf! So good!
Lena ( who is vegan) prepared an herbed butter roa Lena ( who is vegan) prepared an herbed butter roasted turkey. We collaborated on vegan side dishes including rolls (amazing!), sauteed green beans with shallots, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and of course dessert. Thankful for her culinary coaching and help today. How is your Thansgiving?
My recent reads. Three female authors who expanded My recent reads. Three female authors who expanded my recognition of the character of God and what it means to belong to the bold sisterhood of image bearers. I long to have their words coursing through my veins at all times.
“Are these good for baking?” asked the man sha “Are these good for baking?” asked the man sharing space in front of the bin of potatoes. I had navigated around the maze of vegetable stands in the produce department of the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon, and arrived here at this moment. As I looked up, he continued, “I’m new to this.”

 I answered his question, my mind reeling with the scenarios playing out in his life right now. He appeared in his 60’s. Did his spouse recently die? Divorce? “Sure. These are what I use. There is another bin over with more,” I replied as I pointed away from where we stood. 

My answer felt inadequate to what was conveyed seconds before. But it is what he needed. Humanity. A recognition that we see and hear each others as companions in this place wrought with both beauty and pain.

As he parted, he thanked me and I remembered: I have encountered this situation before. Another time in a different store, an elderly man asked me where to find an item and commented that he had never done the grocery shopping before. I walked away wishing I could do more than identify an aisle.

These encounters remind me that “we are all walking each other home.” At anytime, any one of us is harboring invisible struggles. None of us is immune to the realities that we live in a place this side of Heaven. 

But we have the opportunity to offer grace and love in the most ordinary of moments. We share out of what has been given to us. It’s not ours to hoard.

Read more: https://stephaniejthompson.com/2020/10/27/seeking-gods-transformation-of-our-interactions-with-others/  #graceupongrace #sacredconnections. #loveyourneighbor
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Categories

  • Advent
  • Easter
  • five minute friday
  • Help! This was not in the book!
  • Sacred Connections

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