Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
January 7, 2026
Matthew 6:31-34

I recently received a box of blessings from a friend who is “downsizing”. She literally is shrinking her clothing size as well as eliminating clothes she can’t wear anymore. What a blessing. I do not like to shop, nor am I very fashion aware, so it is very helpful that I have family and friends who are and who are willing to share their clothes with me. All of this to say; our scripture for today speaks to this very thing: “So, do not worry saying; ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.

My husband and I usually start our day with devotional readings and this year we have an assigned scripture verse to write in a journal, read it out loud, pray over it and endeavor to memorize it throughout the day. This is where I found our meditation scripture for this posting. It is very possible I will continue to seek the Lord in the use of this “Holy Reading” plan to inspire future Midweek Meditations. I am praying that you will find help and encouragement as you move daily with the Lord in this new year. It is another good practice to start out the year with clean closets. I ask your prayers for me to practice this myself, as I find it so much easier to shove more in the closets and shut the doors, only to be aggravated when I have to dress in a hurry (I’m sensing someone reading this is feeling convicted as much as I am) .

Just for a moment, let’s look at this passage in its original context before using it to inspire our neatness. You see, Jesus is preaching to his followers that this world in not their permanent dwelling, heaven is. In order for them to follow his will and way, they need to be less encumbered by a load of stuff, especially when there are those who have true need of clothing, food, and water. At the end of this passage Jesus says; “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

So, you see, Jesus is very aware what we truly need and how our stuff gets in the way and even causes us to worry about where or when we will get more. At the same time, our Lord knows there are the poor that need to be cared for. I’m sensing that He wants us to begin with seeking Him in his word, in worship, in prayer before we start asking for anything, and when we do, we might just find ourselves more content, less worried, and more helpful to those around us.

How about a bit of a hymn to carry you through the day; “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail; Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend. Amen” (“O Worship the King” by Robert Grant).

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
January 1, 2026
Colossians 3:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy New Year! It’s time to move all the things I need to do annually, all the birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, all the dates I need to remember from my 2025 calendars to my 2026 calendars. Yes, you read it right, I have more than one calendar, which may be part of the reason I still miss some “to-do” items . I have a full year at a glance on one wall, 3 months at a glance on my bulletin board, a monthly planner that I carry around and a doctor appointment calendar in our kitchen. Whew! I’m tired already.

Besides calendar planning, I have a much more important type of planning to do to start out the new year; My spiritual work out plan. Just like my physical body reminds me every day that I need to exercise more and consume less, my spiritual being reminds me through the Holy Spirit that I need to work out my bible study plans and consume less of the world’s distractions. Why? well, it’s pretty simple actually. I believe that just like any relationship I may have, it is important to be in constant communication and compassionate caring for my Lord, and the people with whom I’m surrounded, and that takes dedication and discipline just like my exercise plan requires.

Now, before you stop reading because you may think I will be testing your willingness to make a New Year’s resolution, fear not! I am only going to encourage you to seek out God’s guidance and even a trusted Christian friend to help make this year’s journey with Christ even better. As any new day begins, we should start with getting dressed, and so we begin a new year that way as well; “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14). When you begin your day or now, a new year, by being properly dressed you may find yourself being refreshed and renewed; “If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; the old is gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

May God bless and keep you safely on your journey with Him. If you haven’t decided yet to go with Him, why not start today. Happy New You!

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
December 24, 2025
Matthew 1:18-21, Luke 2:1-7

I am currently listening to a CD by Michael Card “The Promise – A celebration of Christ’s birth” while my sweet husband sits near me listening as well. What a peaceful, lovely moment.

I have been debating how to post a worthy midweek meditation as this is indeed Christmas Eve and my mind is swirling around with thoughts of our evening candle light service which starts at 7:00 at Hursttown Church; 658 Sky Aire Rd. Corydon IN 47112. (I couldn’t help myself).

My morning began with gentle hugs and a prayer by my dear husband who simply prayed; “Thank you Lord, it’s because of you that a weary world rejoices – Amen”, perfect, don’t you think?

After devotions, a delicious omelet breakfast, dishes and general housekeeping, I’ve settled now to share a simple Christmas meditation from my heart to yours. The Christmas hymn “O Holy Night” has in the first verse; “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope-the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”.

Matthew records the birth of Christ with the telling of a betrothed couple; Mary and Joseph who are facing and unplanned Holy Spirit pregnancy and how Joseph decides to divorce her quietly, so as not to bring immediate disgrace to his sweet Mary. Then an angel appears to Joseph and tells him to become Mary’s husband and a daddy to her son who will be named “Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins”. This is where I hear Michael Card singing; “Father, show me how I fit into this plan of yours. How can a man be father to the Son of God?”.

Luke Tells the story of how and why Joseph and Mary had to journey to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born. Because there was no room for them anywhere else, Mary gave birth in a stable and laid her newborn son in a manger. (fun side thought from a friend; The manger was the first King Sized bed). In the second verse of “O Holy Night” these words appear; “The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, in all our trials born to be our friend. He knows our need-to our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!”.

For any of you reading this who may feel less than Holly or Jolly this season, I want you to consider how mankind tends to make things` difficult when all God wants us to know is that He loves us, He loves you. So great is His love that he sent His son to bear our sins and as we celebrate His birth, God wants us to celebrate His coming again. It may feel like too long a wait, and it may feel anything but calm and bright, but hold on. Read again the Christmas story found in and after our scripture texts today. Pray for God’s simple message to touch you and bring you His peace, tears are ok too. My father used to say that “tears clean the windows of your soul”.

AMEN! Pray On! And God’s peace to you this Christmas Eve!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
December 10, 2025
Isaiah 9:6-7 & Isaiah 26:3

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” Isaiah 9:6-7.
“You [Lord] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” Isaiah 26:3.

This past Sunday we lit the second candle in our Advent wreath. It is the candle of Peace. Probably most of you reading my meditation posts are very familiar with the 5 candles of Advent; Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and on Christmas Eve; the Christ candle. What a fun and wonderful way to usher in Christmas, bringing in a bit more light during the dark winter days.

I was sharing with the congregation at a Senior Living center yesterday how I marveled at the story of the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night (Luke 1:8-14). I loved reading again how “a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’”. The Christmas hymn “I heard the bells on Christmas day” came to my mind and in the fearful third verse we sing; “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men’”. Then, the next verse brings the Hope and the Peace of God; “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men.” It stands to reason then, that in order to have peace on earth, we are to have good-will or good intentions toward the people with which we share this planet. I believe that the only true and honest way to do that is to first have peace with God ourselves. In John 16:33 we are reminded of the reality of “hate” and “wrong” in our world, and we are also reminded that the Lord God has a plan to overcome the hate and wrong; “I have told you these things, so that in me you many have peace, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world”. So, let me encourage you today with a simple prayer; “Lord, help me in the power of your Holy Spirit to work, play, and rest in your perfect peace as I keep my mind focused on your good will for me today”.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
November 26, 2025
Romans 15:13

Tomorrow most of my family will gather with us to celebrate thanksgiving, and I am very thankful for that. I am also thankful that one of us will gather everyone in a big circle and as we hold hands, each one will share something they are truly thankful for. Yet, I realize that there are lots of folks who won’t have that experience. Many will be alone, or in a hospital or nursing home away from family and friends. Many who are on active duty with the military will be away and miss their loved ones. There are some who are very close to us in proximity who will be lonely and we won’t even be aware of it. What should I do, what should you do?

Well, the first idea that pops in my head is to stop and pray. Pray a thankful prayer to the God who knows everyone’s heart and loves us all unconditionally. Then pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t talked with in a while and let them know you are thinking of them and love them. Perhaps in these first steps the Lord will direct me and you to meet a need of someone who doesn’t see much hope or joy this thanksgiving, and you and I can encourage, and share in tangible ways the hope, joy and peace of God.

I read a little devotional today from a book I haven’t picked up in a long time; “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. Here’s is a bit of what inspires me today; “When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me [The Lord] with a grateful heart, and My Presence will fill you with Joy and Peace”. Let me just leave you with our Scripture today, Romans 15:13; “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
November 19, 2025
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Good morning! It is still dark outside as I begin this little meditation. It is just after 7:00 a.m. on this fine November morning and I am so thankful to have this quiet time to share with you. Please forgive my absence these past months as our life at home took a detour when my husband had emergency open heart surgery on September 9th. I have a new and profound appreciation for all of you who find yourselves caregivers, so, on behalf of all who are in your care, I say Thank You!

A theme popped up during one of our worship services as we were sharing our praises and concerns; What do you do when you don’t know what to do. What would you say? What we came up with in church was one word; Pray. That begged the question; What do you pray when you don’t know what to pray? Again, pause and consider what you would say.

This time the answer was three words; Thank You Lord.

Here comes the difficult discipline of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He set the example by taking a lot of time to pray and even taught his disciples a beautiful pattern in what we call The Lord’s Prayer; you might want to pause and pray that right now. When we look at the Apostle Paul’s admonition in our verses for today we see clearly where the difficulty and discipline of praying sets in; “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.

In the original context, Paul wrote this letter to the church he himself had founded in A.D. 51 on his second missionary journey. The problem was, he couldn’t stay very long to instruct the new believers in Christ because he was driven out by the governing authorities. He felt as if he had abandoned this young church and knew they were undergoing severe persecution with many dying for their faith.

When we read our verses for today with that setting in mind, it feels all the more impossible to do what Paul instructs believers to do. Yet, that is the confidence that God has in us, that in the power of the Holy Spirit we can Rejoice always, we can pray continually, and we can give thanks in all circumstances because no matter what, Jesus Christ gave himself for us on the cross, that we would never have to fear being abandoned by the Lord and he rose again on the third day to prove we can and will have everlasting life when we trust in Him.

During this week of Thanksgiving, may you be reminded daily to pray; “Thank you Lord”!

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
September 17, 2025
John 8:12 + Matthew 5:16

Yesterday I was visiting at the hospital and had an opportunity to chat with the Chaplain. I asked him how he could manage moving from crisis to crisis in the midst of many quiet moments. He shared how he simply has to live in the moment, remembering that God is a very present help in all situations. He admitted it gets wearisome, but he knows where to find rest. We chatted about our churches and I was happy to share how I get to be part of a wonderful church family known as Hursttown Church. I shared how one of the many blessings I enjoy at our church is when we are asked to pray, and we do. Many times, prayers are shared on our “prayer chain” and often our prayers are spontaneous, maybe even in the middle of the grocery store.

He looked at me and then leaned forward and told me, one of the saddest things he has ever been told during his visitations came from a patient who told him that the only time anyone ever speaks with him about spiritual things is when he is in the hospital.

That is truly sad. I felt a new motivation not to be so shy about sharing a simple prayer with anyone who is willing to chat. Our scriptures for today remind us to be the light of Christ wherever we are; “Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” And; “’Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.’” Someone may cross your path today and need a bit of light to brighten their day, how about taking a moment to pray a simple word from the Lord that will encourage them and lighten their load. I find whenever I do, I feel lighter too.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
September 3, 2025
Matt.25:34-36

I stumbled upon a book that was hiding amongst other paperback books on my very messy bookshelf. I must have inherited it from my friend who owned this home and bookshelf before we bought it. I am thankful that my friend was a committed, faithful follower of Christ and had so many wonderful books for spiritual and Godly growth. The book I found this evening is titled; “In My Father’s House-The years before “The Hiding Place’” by Corrie ten Boom. I opened it to chapter 10; “Reach Out” and read the following; “Europe was devastated at the end of World War I; there was danger of starvation in war-torn countries, and yet there was also a resurgence of hope in the world. ‘Make the world safe for democracy’ was the slogan of the Allies. The humanitarian compassion of the United States and the victor nations in sending supplies and food prevented millions from going hungry”. I felt like I had stepped into a time machine and was hearing my father and father in law discussing their time during the war. I remembered how my dad, a Dutch immigrant, shared with my father in law how grateful he was to the U.S. military for their “food drops”. It seems my father in law was one of the many Airmen who participated in the dispensing of tons of food through strategic “drop zones” and it was very possible that my dad received food for his family from one of those missions.

Many are experiencing the effects of war even as I type this meditation. Please pray with me that the leaders of those countries in conflict will sense a way of peace. That the hungry will be fed, that the injured will be healed, and the lost will be found. I know it must sound like an impossible dream, and yet, I only know to pray and act in accordance with my God who created us all to begin with. Perhaps, peace begins at home, and then can flow out to meet the desperate need of others. Our scripture reading for today says; “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’”.

If you are part of changing the world with a helpful mission or ministry to comfort, house, feed and heal, would you reach out to me so that I may pass such opportunities on as well as pray and support however the Lord leads? You can, of course, find me on Facebook or through Hursttown.com. Now, I will close with the words of a song titled “Help Somebody Today” by Mrs. Frank A Breck and Charles H. Gabriel; “Many have burdens too heavy to bear, Help somebody today! Grief is the portion of some everywhere, Help somebody today! Help somebody today, somebody along life’s way. Let sorrow be ended, the friendless befriended, Oh, help somebody today”.

AMEN and Pray on!