Category Archives: Uncategorized

While writing the classic Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare penned these words, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” These words, repeated by many for centuries, have been used to suggest that a name is not necessarily important. I dare state that I disagreeContinue reading “He Knows Your Name”

Summer brings a special kind of beauty into the world. During the summer nature blossoms and provides our senses with many reminders of God’s handiwork. Summer is full of bright colors, melodic sounds, and flourishing nature. The sun shines brightly and provides the energy for nature’s growth. Plants and flowers grow due to the perfectContinue reading “Spiritual Report Card”

I have been journaling in some form or another for more than four decades, doing everything from keeping diaries to simply writing my thoughts in notebooks. Many years ago, a dear friend introduced me to Prayer Journaling and after adopting this spiritual practice, my life has not been the same. Keeping a spiritual journal isContinue reading “Prayer Journaling”

Over the past two years the world has been full of uncertainty. Many of our lives have been turned upside down and, some of us are still a little queasy. At times, life and the circumstances I found myself in, felt like a ride in an amusement park, specifically a merry-go-round/rollercoaster. There were moments whenContinue reading “The Solid Rock”

Since the beginning of Under The Church Hat blog, I have posted a new devotional on the first day of each month. I developed somewhat of a schedule which included purposeful quiet time and extra study of The Word which allowed me to focus on hearing from God for this venture. Typically, around the middleContinue reading “Wait For It”

Tomorrow is the first day of Lent, one of my favorite liturgical seasons. Lent is the forty-day season of prayer, fasting and giving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Maundy Thursday. In light of this fact, this month, I would like to focus our attention on the prayer and fasting aspectsContinue reading “Prayer & Fasting”

Many of you have heard me say that God is a funny man and this month’s entry is proof. Until today, the majority of Under The Church Hat blog posts were written from a position of strength. However, the focus of this month’s blog, forgiveness, is an area where I have, needed help. God grows andContinue reading “Forgiveness”

In much of the Western world, New Year’s resolutions are popular. The  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the term as, the promise to do something different in the new year. According to a recent New York Times-Smarter Living article, more than fifty percent of New Year’s resolutions fail and do not last beyond the end of January.Continue reading “A New Thing”

As I think back to my childhood, I have wonderful memories of Christmas. In my family, we did Christmas BIG! My parents made every Christmas special for me and my siblings. Each year the Christmas tree was surrounded by gifts. I have no memories of a Christmas when I did not receive what I askedContinue reading “Open Your Gift”

I like to think of myself as a thoughtful gift giver; I spend time thinking about the gifts I buy for others, especially Christmas gifts. I tend to begin my Christmas shopping early (I buy things when I see them) and am ready to wrap all the gifts I purchased the week after Thanksgiving. I do a lot of my shopping online. OneContinue reading “Free Gift With Purchase”