The Pastor's Perspective

       Frodo and Sam Looking at Mt. Doom      If you have ever read the Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien or watched the movies. You know about the story of Frodo and his dangerous trek through Morder. Just as Frodo faced the soul-crushing despair of Cirith Ungol, the betrayal of Gríma Wormtongue, or the sheer terror of Shelob's lair, we too encounter our own versions of these trials—moments of profound despair, unexpected betrayals, or overwhelming obstacles that threaten to consume us whole, testing the very limits of our endurance.       I think it is safe to say that we’ve all experinced a trial or two in our lives. It’s easy in those moments to wonder, “Why me? Why this hardship?”  We begin to look around and see what seems to us to be people living there best life and we are struggling. And often, the immediate conclusion to all of this is we say that the enemy is at work, unleashing every possible trouble our way. ...

            I have always been artsy, and I love to draw and watch programs about drawing and art. Growing up, one show always captivated me: "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross. With his gentle voice and signature afro, Bob would transform a blank canvas into breathtaking landscapes, complete with "happy little trees" and "friendly little clouds." What truly mesmerized me was his ability to take what looked like a blob of paint, or what seemed like an accidental smudge, and turn it into a majestic mountain or a shimmering lake. When he started off you might have thought "well he done ruined it" then by the end you were left mesmerized. He'd often say, with a reassuring smile, "There are no mistakes, just happy little accidents."      Don't we often feel like we've made a mess of things in our own lives? In 45 years of living here on this earth I will be the first one to say that I have had my fair share of  mistakes. There ...