Keysville United Methodist Church

06/04/2026

Perfect

Yesterday I was talking with my daughter while she was picking up the kids from school. Fourth-grader Bennett climbed into the car; and Sharon asked him, “How did the SOL’s go?” “Fine,” he said, “but Campbell is still in there, working on hers.” Sharon explained to me that Campbell is a great student – so good that she got every question right on last year’s SOL test. And now she’s determined to do that well again – even though a perfect score isn’t required and doesn’t really matter. It only matters that she pass; and maybe that she doesn’t demand so much of herself.

As I thought about that later, I saw myself in Campbell, at so many times in my life. Trying to get perfect grades, trying to be the perfect wife and mother and daughter and friend. And most of all, trying to be the perfect Christian – and failing at all of them, usually every day. Why? Wasn’t I trying hard enough?

It took me most of my life to really understand that we are all very imperfect people, living in an imperfect world – and that that’s OK. God never asks us to be perfect; He just wants us to do our best and try to follow the helpful instructions in His Word. If I were perfect, I wouldn’t need God, or His help, or His Word. I would do just fine on my own. And if I were perfect, I wouldn’t have much patience or empathy or sympathy for everyone else, who struggle in their own ways.

God “knows that we are dust” – very imperfect people who need a Savior, and a Helper, and a Friend to walk beside us and show us what to do. I’ve learned to be more patient with myself, and to laugh at my mistakes – every day – and to be eternally grateful that God loves me anyway, just the way I am. I’ll never understand it; but He sees me as His perfect child, just because I’m His.

And so are you.

Take care, Ree

04/28/2026

How Do You See God?

Many years ago, while I was in college, I worked two summers as a camp counselor in Tennessee. Every Friday night, the campers and counselors met around a campfire, and awards were given out to the girls who had excelled in their activities that week. One of the most coveted awards was for keeping the neatest cabin – every item stored away, every bed made, and every blanket perfectly straight. The cabins were inspected and graded during the week while no one was there. We never knew when the inspectors might come; so we did our best to make sure our cabin was ready at all times.

Is that how you think of God? As someone who is always watching, always looking for mistakes, and always grading you for what you do?

A few years after college, I was talking with a friend who was adding on to her house. Soon she would have a real dining room, and she told me she was “praying” for a new dining table. Was she really asking God for one? Or was she just hoping for something she really wanted?

Is that how you think of God? As someone like Santa Claus or a genie, who can grant your fondest wishes?

We know that God loves us completely, and we can talk to Him about anything that’s on our minds. And He truly loves to give us what we hope for and need. But sometimes we forget who God really is: the Creator of the world, the Sustainer of all that lives, and the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. He’s so much greater than our minds could ever conceive, and He loves us with an unconditional, everlasting love.

Yes, He’s watching over us constantly – but with the loving eyes of a parent and not an inspector looking for flaws. Yes, He wants to give us what our hearts long for, but also so much more than we think to ask Him for. God is great; God is Love; God is always good.

Take care, Ree

03/01/2026

A Life of Grace

If you look in the dictionary, the word “grace” has several different meanings, including elegance and charm in movement; courtesy; and God’s unearned favor, love, and forgiveness. But to see “grace” lived out, you would need to have known Joan Tipton, who embodied these meanings of grace – and many more - in every possible way.

As a lifelong dancer, Joan shared her love of graceful movement with hundreds of children and adults - from toddlers to senior citizens – patiently teaching and dancing and exercising along with her students. One of the highlights of her life was performing as a Rockette; but Joan never bragged about her talents. I’m sure “humility” would be yet another meaning of “grace.”

I never knew Joan to raise her voice in anger or speak unkindly of anyone. She waited for others to speak first; and if she had a different opinion, she gave it calmly, without arguing. Peace and kindness meant more to her than being proved right. Once again, “grace” was lived out, in her daily life.

Every day, Joan wore a simple cross necklace – quietly telling the world that she was a follower of Christ. For many years, she added liturgical dance to our worship services, which brought a new meaning to familiar Scripture. She never stopped studying the Bible, even well into her 80’s; and she served in church in whatever ways she could, for as long as she was able. Would she serve as lay leader? Lay speaker? Bible study teacher? Lenten Luncheon organizer? She was willing to do whatever she was asked to do; and she did it with a humble and enthusiastic spirit.

A few days ago, Joan left us to enter heaven, where I have no doubt she is dancing before the Lord and with everyone she loves. And when we join her one day, she’ll lead us all in a dance of grace, showing us once again how to live out a life of faith in everything you do.

Take care, Ree

02/02/2026

Choose Love

My husband and I don’t usually watch pro football games. But a few days ago, we turned on the end of the Buffalo Bills game to see if our grandson’s favorite team would win their playoff game. I started to notice the words “Choose Love” written on the back of the players’ helmets; and I was amazed that these strong, physical men were quietly sending this message to the millions of people who were watching.

I read about where this idea came from, and I learned that the Buffalo Bills adopted “Choose Love” as their team motto after a mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022. The movement has spread to the other NFL teams; and this past weekend, to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his message that we should love everyone – even the ones who hate us – every player wore those two words on his helmet. Even the end zones of the fields were painted with them as well. What a powerful message, shared in a quiet but bold way.

What if football games and other sports became a means for encouraging love and kindness? What if choosing love became the hallmark of our society and culture, rather than selfishness and greed? What a very different and more peaceful world we would have, where everyone felt they belonged.

Years ago, the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme song included the words, “Love is all around, no need to waste it.” Love truly is around us, and in us, just waiting to be seen and shared. What can we do this month to “choose love”? What kind words can we offer, what prayers can we say, what hugs can we give? Love begins with each of us. Choose love. And God will smile.

Take care, Ree

01/12/2026

Prayers at Work

For a small church, we are really big on prayer. Every week, our prayer list seems to grow; and lately we have had almost 60 names that we are faithfully praying for. Most of them are people who don’t belong to our church; and often we don’t even know the reason that their names have been given to us. But that doesn’t matter; God knows, and we trust Him to take care of each person.

How does prayer work? Is there a special formula of what to say and how often we should say it? Or does the answer depend on the One who’s hearing our prayer, and not so much on the words we use to ask Him? To me, prayer is giving a person or a problem to the One who understands both better than we could ever hope to; and trusting Him to work out the answer in the way He knows is best. And that’s the hard part, because God’s ways are different from our ways. He can see the whole, when we can only see in part.

I think our role in prayer is talking to God about whatever and whoever need His help, and then keeping our eyes open to see Him at work. I wish every prayer had a happy ending, and that every person was healed and free from pain. But maybe God wants more than physical healing. Maybe He longs most of all to have that person come close, so that he or she can get to know Him better; or to hear His quiet voice and feel His strong Presence. Maybe He wants to give peace and assurance, and a love that will last for eternity. Maybe our prayers are too small, and that God wants to do much more than what we ask for.

We’ll never completely understand how prayer works, because we’ll never truly understand God. But we know that He is love, and He answers with the love of a Father. Our part is to ask, and to wait, and to trust Him to answer.

Take care, Ree

12/08/2025

12/02/2025

Walking Through Grief

Fourteen years ago this month, we lost our son at age 30; and I found myself walking through a deep, dark valley like I had never known. Without my husband, without friends and family, without my faith, and without my church family, I don’t know if I could have made it through. It’s taken a long time, with many questions and tears, to walk through this valley and come out the other side. And I’m grateful to everyone who has walked beside me and with me, all these years and still today.
One of the hardest things to understand is that grief doesn’t mean a lack of faith in God, or in the resurrection. Because you are a Christian you have the sure hope that you will be with that person again, and forever – but it doesn’t mean that you aren’t sad or grieving now. We walk in grief and faith together, for the rest of our lives. The grief eases as we affirm the promises that God is still here, and He is still good; and we learn a new way of living, without that person. We may never have all the answers to our questions, but we know that God does – and that our questions are safe with Him.
I found a wonderful quote by Susan Branch that says this so beautifully: “Grief never ends…but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, not a lack of faith…It is the price of love.”
When you love someone deeply, your life will never be the same without that person. It is natural to still miss that person and wish that they were here, while being thankful that he or she is with God and happier than we can imagine. I have learned that love goes on between this world and the next. It is stronger than death; and binds us here on earth with everyone we love in heaven. We will keep walking this life in faith, knowing that God and our loved ones walk with us.

Take care, Ree

11/02/2025

Your Story

When she was in her late 80’s, my mother-in-law decided it was time to pass along the stories of where pieces of furniture and family objects came from. So, whenever she saw something that triggered a memory, she wrote a brief note and attached it underneath. Several years later, when we were cleaning out my in-laws’ house, finding the notes was like going on a treasure hunt. “Here’s one!”, someone would say, and we would all gather around to hear the story she had wanted to share.

Too many times, we don’t hear the family stories – or appreciate them – until our family members have gone on to heaven. Where did that pitcher come from, and which side of the family owned that clock? I’m realizing that now is the time to write down my own family’s stories so they can be passed down too.

The most important story each of us can share is the story of our faith, told in the way we live our lives and by what means the most to us. We tell that story by what we value, and where we find our direction and our strength. Hopefully that story comes out loud and clear, and not too muffled by our mistakes and human weaknesses. And maybe that’s a part of our faith story too – that we keep trying to follow God, in spite of our disappointments and failings.

The Bible is filled with stories of people and families just like ours – real people, with real flaws and problems and failings. It’s a collection of stories of how imperfect people need a strong and perfect and loving God to help them through this life. And when the people in the Bible did follow God – and when we do – life had meaning and purpose, and in the end was worth everything. This is the story we need to pass on: God is here, and listening to us; God is strong, and ready to help us; and most of all, God loves us, forever.

Take care, Ree

10/16/2025

Don’t forget this SUNDAY is the fall festival!!!