Anaconda First Presbyterian Church

03/15/2026

03/15/2026

John 9:1-14
Living in darkness

03/13/2026

Devotional for Friday the 13th......

(The second part of the reading I was talking about a week ago.) If you forgot that is ok. I have not been keeping up kn sharing it.

Often times I find that my faith in God or in anything is often forgotten. Maybe not for a long time, but maybe for an hour, a day or a week.

Often times my faithfulness can be based on other people's ideas and ways, and not yours or even my own. Often I follow ways, ideas or others when I should not.

My faith is sometimes occasional and selective. I am not afraid to admit that at all. It can not be hidden. I do believe we all are capable of suffering from this.

We will always be forgiven for our selective faith because of our strong faith (even when it is selective) and beliefs. This I know for the Bible tells me so.

So when your faith slips off the road and you worry, know that God is there to hook up hHis chain and pull you back on the road. Glory be to God. Amen!

"Lord....... Your faithfulness isn't occasional or selective but great, magnificent, exceeding anything I could ask or imagine, surpassing every human standard of reliability.

03/10/2026

Devotional for March 9th.......

A friend of mine posted on line about her day and how we assign meaning to things...... things like why we are late, or what we are eating, what or why we are doing what we are doing ect. What a great way to look at things.

I mean in reality there is no other way to see it. I mean if I am asked why I do what I do my most common answer is because I want too. But isn't that still a perspective? Because as my 4 year old granddaughter would ask "well why do you want too?" There is always a reason or perspective (a point of view).

I bring this up because a good friend posted on it today and I thought it was worth thinking about. Especially here question at the end. "what beliefs or meaning are you noticing and reframing today?"

I think that is a great question and I am not sure I answered it in the best way, but this was my answer ........ at least for today I am looking and working through my faith today, and making decisions led by my faith. Here is what she part of what she posted ..........

Dozens of times a day we assign meaning to the decisions we make or the things that happen. So often they are automatic beliefs from our subconscious that we don't even think to question but they shape our days and the actions we take.

We get to choose the perspectives that we have and reframe the ones that don't actually serve us. What beliefs and meanings are you noticing or reframing today?
..................

Every day we assign meaning to what we do..... and I just have never really thought of doing things in that way. I mean my thought is that on Mondays I get up and go to work because that is what I do.... but there is at least 5 more reasons I do that. It is my job, I put all my thoughts for the day into my congregation and church life. I figure out the bulletin for Sunday service, and plan what my sermon is going to be on. All decisions that I sign a meaning too. She is so right in saying that ..... I rarely have ever stopped to think of the why!!

What beliefs and meanings are you noticing or reframing today?
Me: I am reframing and thinking about what it really means to be blind where my faith is concerned. Reading John 9.

Take the time to think about what you are noticing and reframing today. Glory be to God. Amen!!

03/08/2026

John4:5-42
Mercy at the Well
3rd Sunday in Lent

03/06/2026

Devotional for March 5th......

My Faith gets me through things that I can't work out on my own. Plus my Faith reminds me that the Lord is always there no matter what. He is there by my side while I am working things out and helps me when I have given up.

I recently found a poem that deals with faith and for the next 8 devotionals or so I am going to share my thoughts and a verse of the poem.

There are every day things that can cause things to go astray in our lives. Things as simple as a phone call from a loved one, a fire, a wreck, our health, a lie, a death, a fight, or a change of plans ...... we could go on and on, but I am sure you get the picture.

How wonderful it is to know that we have our faith and our Lord to get us through whatever it is that is happening. He is there not only to help us, but also to help the ones that we are worried about, and the ones who we know are struggling.

Faith, Prayer, and our Lord frees us from struggling with grieving, fear and lonliness all by ourselves. He can not take it all away, but He knows what is going to happen before we do, He is there at the start of it, He with us when we are in it, and He can walk or carry us through it. He stays with us after it is over.
He is with us always and forever! Glory be to God. Amen!

"Lord, great is Your faithfulness, proven through every season, constant through every circumstance, reliable when everything else shifts and fails around me."

03/05/2026

Devotional for March 4th......

Today at staples I picked up a really cute dinosaur pen. They had tins of adorable Pens in hand. However I picked only two and some colored pencils.

I spend so much time typing that I forgot how much I enjoy writing. My favorite is colored pens. I love writing with them. So I have lots of them. I have gel ones for coloring and regular ink pens for writing. The sound of your pen on paper is an awesome sound. Means you are actually taking the time to write. There is something kind of grounding about it. One of my favorite is copying verses or writing letters.

It truly is not about my writing being pretty because it is not. It is a mix of cursive and printing and some is legible and some is not. It is more just taking the time to sit and write.

Writing your favorite scripture or even your thoughts makes you focus more on what you are doing and what you are saying. It also helps you remember things better and to focus more.

I feel that writing is maybe old fashioned now a days, but is a great way to connect with yourself and others. Next time you think of typing something maybe take the time to sit and write it.....

Take the time ton connect with word today. Glory be to God. Amen!

03/02/2026

The world can change in a single headline. One moment, life feels ordinary. The next, maps are lit up with red markers and urgent updates. The language becomes familiar — strikes, alliances, escalation, defense. But behind every word is a heartbeat.

A soldier tightening his gear before stepping into uncertainty.
A wife sitting at the kitchen table long after dinner has gone cold.
A little voice asking why the news sounds so serious.

This is not abstract policy.
This is human life.

And when the world feels heavy, we turn upward.

Lord Jesus Christ, we stand in humility before You. We do not pretend to understand every strategy or decision. But we understand fear. We understand love. We understand how desperately we need peace.

Soften the hearts of those who make decisions that affect millions. Replace ego with discernment. Replace retaliation with thoughtful restraint. Replace haste with wisdom that sees beyond the moment.

Protect every man and woman deployed tonight. Guard them in the air, on land, and at sea. Give them alert minds and calm spirits. Stand between them and harm. Let their courage be matched by Your covering.

Strengthen the families who wait. Calm the silent tears. Ease the tension that settles in homes when uncertainty lingers. Remind them that hope is stronger than fear.

And Lord, do not forget the innocent. The families caught between powers greater than themselves. The children who deserve laughter instead of alarms. Stretch Your mercy over them.

Peace can feel fragile. Stability can feel temporary. But Your sovereignty is not.

Let this conflict move toward resolution, not prolongation. Let healing begin sooner than expected. Let wisdom prevail before more lives are altered.

Today, we ask not for conquest — but for protection.
Not for escalation — but for clarity.
Not for destruction — but for peace that lasts.

Lord Jesus, carry us through this moment.

Pray for our troops.
Pray for restraint.
Pray for peace that outlives this storm. 🇺🇸🙏

03/01/2026

A Journey of Faith
John 3:1-17
Psalm 121

02/27/2026

Devotional for February 26th.....

I am not sure how it works for you on a daily basis, but when I wake up on the "wrong side of the bed" as they say, my day tends to follow along the the same wrong side, with some chance of change. Then when I wake up on "the right side if the bed" my day tends to stay on the right side, with some chance of change.

Some days our mornings start really early, some days our mornings may not be really early, but start of on a bad note. Then there are days where our mornings are wonderful and our day follows in the same manner.

Here is a quiet thought for your morning tomorrow..…

Before the day asks anything of you, fold your hands in prayer and thank God for another day. When your done being thankful
place your hand on your heart and
Feel it there — steady and faithful.
There is strength in your softness.
There is wisdom in your soul.
Step into this day knowing
you carry everything you need to have a wonderful day, even if you have to adjust your attitude mid day. Be kind, loving, understanding and forgiving.

May you gently move through this day
surrounded by the same kindness, love, understanding, and forgiving that you
offer to others. Be Soft. Present, and Open.

Glory be to God. Amen!

When you start your day....... “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

02/26/2026

Boy some little chubby pup named Ollie tuckered himself out today wrestling with the big dogs.

02/26/2026

Devotional for February 25th.....

I have wholeheartedly followed my faith and Jesus now for over half of my life. As I get older and grow more o realize just how big that is. The things that he did for us seem to just grow bigger and never cease to amze me.

If you think about Jesu could of commanded that we follow Him or else, instead He gave us a choice. He could of just decided that we were not worth the time to try and fix. He could of also programmed us to be exactly who He wanted us to be...... BUT He did not. He did something that amazes me no matter how many times I think about, read about it, and hear about it.

He willingly died for us. He died brutally for us in an unimaginable way. He could come to earth to pursue His divine rights, but instead
He gave away His rights for our sake. He died for us, was tailed to life for us and now sits at God's right hand where He fights (if you want to call it that) for us.

Even as I write this, I remember that Jesus fights for me and defends me everyday. He knows we mess up, but He also knows how hard we try to do what is right. I sit in awe of all Jesus has done for me and for us. "THANK YOU JESUS, for Your mercy and Your love poured out for me and all of us who follow you! Glory be to God. Amen!!!!