Grace Presbyterian Church

09/05/2026

Mark your calendars for Holy Smoke on October 19 at Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Antonio. This is the sole fundraiser to help sponsor a house for the Spring build 2027. The cost of building a home has increased by more than 50% since Covid. However, we remain committed to providing affordable housing for deserving families.
We will have some wonderful items available in the silent auction.
If you need tickets delivered to your church, wish to provide food, an auction donation, or want additional information, please contact Nancy Hester at [email protected] or 210-867-6736.

09/02/2026

September 2, 2026
Submitted by: Jenny Gallo

I have several clergy stoles that Jenny’s studio has created. The congregation enjoys seeing me wear them. I am on her mailing list, and this posting arrived the other day in my email. I asked her if I could share it with everyone, and she graciously said yes. This post gives some practical tips on how to draw near to God, something we have talked about over the last couple of weeks.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Jenny Gallo is the artist and founder of Carrot Top Studio, where faith, storytelling, and visual art converge. With a background in art education, she creates story-rich clergy stoles and other meaningful art inspired by scripture, art history, and the natural world. Her work uses color and symbol to make visual connections that invite people to notice, wonder, and reflect. Through Carrot Top Studio, Jenny’s work serves clergy, congregations, and individuals around the world.

Jenny’s studio is called Carrot Top Studio. (https://www.carrottopstudio.com/)

Larry

Making a Little Room for Quiet
How a simple prayer corner can create a pause in the rhythms of a new season

There is something about back-to-school time that feels a little like the beginning of the calendar year in January.

Even if no one in your house is heading to school, September brings a sense of beginning again. Calendars fill. Church programs restart. Meetings return. Evenings get darker a little earlier. The looser rhythms of summer begin giving way to schedules and routines.

And before we know it, we’re busy again.

So perhaps this is exactly the right time to create a small place for doing...nothing. Or at least nothing that needs to be crossed off a list.

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A fall sunset near my studio.

What If We Made Room for Quiet?
I’m calling it a prayer corner, but don’t get too hung up on the word prayer. Prayer means different things to different people. For some, prayer is speaking directly to God. For others, it is reading Scripture or following a familiar liturgy. It might mean journaling, sitting in silence, practicing gratitude, coloring, walking a finger labyrinth, listening to music, or simply becoming quiet enough to pay attention to the breath.

There isn’t one correct way to do it.

And your prayer corner doesn’t have to look particularly religious, either. The purpose is much simpler:

Create a place that reminds you to pause.

Start With a Place You Already Have
You don’t need an extra room. You don’t even need an entire corner. Look around your home for a place that feels relatively peaceful.

Maybe it’s one end of the sofa.
A chair beside a window.
A corner of your bedroom.
A spot at the kitchen table before everyone else wakes up.
A cushion on the floor.
Even a basket that can be brought out when you want it can become a portable prayer space. (This one is in honor of my Mom. It’s how she always did it.)
The point isn’t the size of the space. It’s the intention you bring to it.

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This is where I get wrapped in a bit of daily quiet.

Add Something That Helps You Pay Attention
This is where the artist in me becomes interested. Objects can help us shift our attention. Think about what helps you become quiet.
Perhaps it’s a candle.
A Bible or prayer book.
A small cross.
A favorite piece of art.
A stone picked up on a meaningful trip.
A journal and pen.
Prayer beads.
A photograph.
A flower or small branch brought in from outdoors.
A finger labyrinth.
You don’t need all of these. In fact, I think fewer might be better. Choose one or two things that actually mean something to you. The object isn’t the point. It’s simply a visual reminder:

Here is a place where I can stop for a moment.

Let the Space Change With You

Your prayer space doesn’t have to remain the same all year. I love the idea of letting it follow the seasons. A brightly colored leaf in autumn. A candle during Advent. A star at Christmas. A small bowl of water during the season of Baptism of the Lord. A stone during Lent. A flower at Easter. Something green during Ordinary Time.

These small changes can connect our everyday lives at home with the larger rhythms of faith. They also give us something tangible to notice.

What About Children?

A prayer corner can be especially meaningful for children, but I wouldn’t make it a place where children are expected to sit perfectly still and “pray correctly.”

Let them participate in creating it.

Ask: What helps you feel peaceful? What reminds you that God loves you? Is there something you’d like to put here?

Their answers might surprise you. Maybe they choose a stuffed animal, a drawing, a rock, a photograph of someone they love.

Wonderful! A child’s prayer space should look like it belongs to a child. And as the school year begins, it can also become a place to bring the things that feel big: a friendship problem, a difficult test, excitement about something new, worry about school, or gratitude for a good day.

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Created and used by one of my children (many) years ago.

Begin With Five Minutes

Here’s where I think we sometimes make spiritual practices harder than they need to be. We decide that if we’re going to create a prayer practice, we should do it properly.

~ Every morning. ~ For thirty minutes. ~
~ With meaningful Scripture reading and profound insights. ~
And then Tuesday happens!

Instead, try five minutes.

Light the candle.
Sit down.
Take a few slow breaths.
Read one verse.
Write one sentence.
Name one thing you’re grateful for.
Ask one question.
Or simply sit.
That’s enough.

The goal isn’t to become good at having a prayer corner.
The goal is to make a little room in your life for paying attention.

A Place That Waits for You
Perhaps that’s what I like most about creating a physical space for prayer. It waits. On the busy days when we don’t use it, it’s still there. On the days when our minds are racing, it’s there. On the days when we don’t have the right words, it’s there. And on the days when five quiet minutes feel like exactly what we need, there’s already a place waiting for us.

As another school year and another season of activity begin, we will make room for many things beyond backpacks.

Perhaps we can make room for quiet, too.

Not because we need one more thing to accomplish. But because sometimes creating a small space in our homes reminds us to create a little space within ourselves.


Jenny

Carrot Top Studio creates story-rich clergy stoles and art for ministry and daily life. Explore handcrafted stoles, thoughtful gifts, teaching resources, and licensed artwork rooted in faith, season, and meaning.

08/26/2026

August 26, 2026
Here Am I, Lord.
Please pick someone else.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:24-25)

Genesis tells us, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:1) Adam and Eve’s actions threw God’s plan off kilter, but God already had the answer in that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God was slain before the foundations of the world were laid. God is love and every part of creation was designed to show God’s love, His power and His glory. If we keep that thought in mind, then we can see that each piece of creation has a specific place, and a specific job in God’s story. God created us. He knows how we are made, and what He wants for us, but often we don’t know, or don’t understand what He tells us. Let’s look at some folks in the scriptures to see what they did.

The first one we’ll look at is Moses. In Exodus 3, God calls to Moses from a burning bush. Moses is herding sheep. God reveals that He knows Moses by calling him by name. He gives Moses a little history lesson, tells Moses a piece of His plan for the Israelites, and tells Moses to go get the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses’ response is immediate and without thought. No. You have the wrong person and let me tell you why. God continues to speak with Moses, explains that He will be with him, and even tells him how the King of Egypt will respond. God did several miracles before Moses and Moses continued to not accept the position. But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13) The Lord’s anger burned against Moses, but God patiently told him that his brother Aaron would be able to speak for Moses to Pharoah. The Lord told Moses, “I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.” (Exodus 4:15) Moses finally relented and did what God asked. Moses took his place in God’s plan and led the Israelites out of Egypt into freedom.

Gideon didn’t actually say, “Please pick someone else.” However, when told by the Angel of the Lord that he would save Israel from the Midianites, Gideon protested, "Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (Judges 6:15) Gideon prepared a sacrifice and brought it out. The angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff he held. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” (Judges 6:21-23) Then Gideon did what the Lord asked him to do. And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Mid′ian; do not I send you?” (Judges 6:13)

Then there was Jonah. Jonah didn’t argue with God. He didn’t give God a chance to say anything. He just ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. It was after he had been thrown overboard and swallowed by a fish, that he acknowledged that he would do what God had asked of him. Then he grumbled because God was merciful to Nineveh and spared them.

Each one of these examples shows that God had plans in His creation that specific people could fulfill. Granted, Moses was the humblest person that ever lived. Jonah and Gideon were just simple folk who were asked by God to do something for others. If you need other examples, look at the 12 disciples and what they did to turn the world toward God.

My point is this. God created each of us. He knows us by name, and He knows what He made us for. We all have a place in God's overall plan. In the different seasons of our lives, the short-term goals may change, but the long-term goal is that our Father wants us to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and to love our neighbor. (Mark 12:30-31) God wants us to draw near to Him and enjoy His company. God knows exactly what we need to bring those results about. Do not be afraid to ask our Heavenly Father what your place is in His creation.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Larry

08/12/2026

August 12, 2026
Be the Light

This meditation was submitted by one of our readers who requested that we do not use his/her name. This might be a good time to mention that we enjoy people sharing questions, and/or their insights with us. If you gain something from one of these meditations, please feel free to share it. Whether in English or Spanish, Yoan and I will get back to you. We might even use your insight in a meditation. (We would ask first if you wanted your name mentioned, or if we should just say “One of our readers”.)


Years ago, and maybe even still, lighthouses often brought joy to the crew and passengers on large ships down to the smallest of boats. Storms or simply being lost in direction at sea was, and continues to be, very stressful. This reminds me of life in general. Are we not plagued by our own storms and loss of direction at times? As believers in the triune God, we will likely begin praying immediately when the rough times come. We know the Holy Spirit will lead and comfort us if we just listen. Sometimes that’s hard to do when so many thoughts are running through our heads – too many distractions. I find this to be a good time to call or go visit the person who is our light. I have a friend like that. She will stop whatever she is doing, listen, and pray for me. I do the same for her.

As Christians, we need to stop and think if we are a light to others. When they have storms or feel lost do they come to us? Believe it or not, people are watching to see how we weather the storms. When members of my family have disagreements with one another, they call or come to me. The call from an adult may start with ‘What are you doing? Want to go out for lunch?’ You can hear the stress in their voice. Sometimes children of all ages just want a simple hug. If by chance they inquire about your positive attitude, known to us as our light, tell them it comes from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Remember your childhood with this sweet song. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Matthew 5: 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

I will close with a favorite hymn, Be Thou My Vision. The first verse is about the very light we seek and share that light with others.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be Thou My Vision – Celtic version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihJAJA4ibEs&list=RDihJAJA4ibEs&start_radio=1


Se tu mi vision/ Be thou my vision. Jonathan Oriel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuJaJ9jokDY&list=RDQuJaJ9jokDY&start_radio=1

Larry

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/05/2026

August 5, 2026

Blessings in Misadventures

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all (Psalm 34:18)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
(Isaiah 43:2)


This isn’t so much a meditation as a testimony to the goodness of God. As I mentioned in another email, we set forth on an adventure for 3 weeks in Scotland and London. The first leg of the trip was from San Antonio, Texas to Dallas. We got to the SA airport at 2:40 and within 15 minutes we were through TSA and sitting at our gate to leave. The flight was delayed about 15 minutes, but we had plenty of time in Dallas to catch the flight from Dallas to London which was 9 and one half hours long.

Jackie is a 2-time cancer survivor and because of the treatments she had she has stomach issues that hit her every now and then with no warning. About 10 minutes after leaving Dallas, she got sick. The stewardess helped her back to the restroom. She didn’t have any clean clothes because all we had were the carry-on bags. The stewardess went up to first class and got a set of pyjamas and brought them back. We were able to put her dirty clothes in a bag, and she was able to wear the outfit she was given. The pyjamas were a sweatpants and blouse type outfit. It looked like she was wearing a leisure outfit that she said was comfortable. The flight was full, so there wasn’t any place for us to move to. I cleaned up the area while the stewardess kept an eye on Jackie. The rest of the flight was uneventful. The stewardess kept coming back to check up on Jackie.

We landed in London, easily caught our next flight to Inverness, Scotland. Arrived there and my bag was with us, but Jackie’s bag didn’t make it. She’s been in her jamies and was looking forward to taking a hot shower and changing clothes, but… We stayed in Inverness Friday night. We were waiting for a friend to get there so we could drive to Skye together. It looked like our bag might be on Sarah’s flight, but alas, it wasn’t to be. The text said they had found it and would be in Inverness on Saturday, but there was only one flight in the morning, and it was not on it. So, we left Inverness and headed to Skye.

We decided to take the leisurely route to Skye and enjoy the scenery. It was a very beautiful drive, with very little traffic. In Scotland, you cannot judge a trip by the miles. It was 135 miles from the airport to Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. The GPS put it at just over 3 hours. (Not like Texas speeds.) About 1 hour out of Inverness, we hit some construction. Just as we cleared that, in the middle of nowhere, there was this BIG pothole, that ate up a tire. We were about 200 feet from a house, so I drove to their driveway and stopped to inspect the tire. (Which was VERY flat)

We didn’t know where we were, so Sarah knocked on the door and we met another wonderful lady with the name, Ann. Ann told us that during the high season, there are many travellers who have the same problem along that stretch of road. She called the roadside assistance and was able to tell them exactly where we were and then said, “Come in. I’ll fix some tea and we’ll have some tea and crackers while you wait.” We had a marvelous time at her home that afternoon. Ann had just gotten out of the hospital and was still recuperating. She thought it was another friend coming to visit and check up on her.

After she had called about the car, she told us they would probably call the local company that she knows to come out. While we were having our tea, she called the local shop and asked if they had received a call about a tire problem. They said yes and she told them we were at her house, so when they got ready to respond to our call they just come to her house. We had tea and crisps; Jackie and Sarah sang a couple of songs for her. The tire finally got fixed. (He had to take the wheel to the shop to complete the work.) Before we left we had a prayer with her asking the Lord for a speedy recovery and to bless her for her hospitality. She works at a community centre that helps folks in need, so we prayed for her work there too.

We got back on the road about 6:30pm. We had hoped to be at Dunvegan by 3:30 to get registered for the parliament and be able to go to the reception that evening. Instead, we got to Dunvegan at 8:30. There are 6 of us in the house and we stayed up until after midnight talking.

I didn’t tell you this for sympathy. I wanted you to see that when the Lord tells us, “He will be with us,” He means it. When things come against us, He sends help as needed.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)


Larry

P.S. The bag is here! (8/4)

07/31/2026

07/29/2026

July 29, 2026
You are loved, and You are valued.

Several months ago, I officiated at a large funeral. During the service I asked people to turn to those around them and say, “You are loved and you are valued.” It was very noisy for a couple of minutes. Then I asked them to turn to those same people and say, “I am loved and I am valued.” It was considerably quieter when that was done. It is easy to accept the fact God loves others. It is harder to accept God has that same love for me.

Paul wrote in Romans 5, “8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.“
If you still aren’t sure about God’s love for you, read Paul’s statement this way, “God shows His love for me in that while I was yet a sinner Christ died for me. “

Psalm 139 is a psalm of David. It is not known when this psalm was written. Reading it makes one believe that it was written during a time when David was surrounded by hostility. (vs 19 to 22) The psalm shows God’s attention to our everyday lives. David expresses his amazement of how intimately God knows him. Read it prayerfully and accept the fact that God knows you intimately and loves you.

The Inescapable God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me!
2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well;
15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret,
intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]
19 O that thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God, and that men of blood would depart from me,
20 men who maliciously defy thee, who lift themselves up against thee for evil![c]
21 Do I not hate them that hate thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe them that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any wicked[d] way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Numbers 6:24-26
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Larry

07/23/2026

July 23, 2026

Part of Creation

I finished last week’s meditation with:

I’m writing this to invite you into the Lord’s conversations. We build human relationships by spending time with others. As the relationship grows, we are free to be ourselves, to be honest with our feelings and our thoughts. It is the same with our relationship with the Holy Trinity.

I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me (John 10:14)

When Jesus says He knows us, the word He uses means “through personal experience.” We are part of His creation. We have a place in God’s plan. He knows who we are, and who He created us to be. It is the same word in the second part of that passage. “My own know me” through personal experience. Spend time with God regularly and watch your relationship grow.

Genesis 1 ends with, “31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” All of creation is made to glorify God. Paul says this in Romans 1:20, “Ever since the creation of the world his (God’s) invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” The Book of Order of the PC(USA) says, “Human beings have no higher goal in life than to glorify and enjoy God now and forever, living in covenant fellowship with God and participating in God’s mission.”(1) All of creation is designed to show God’s love. Every part of creation, the stars, the galaxies, and each of us has a place in the grand scheme of God.

It is in spending time regularly with God that we can begin to see our place in God’s creation. The place He created us to fill. As I look back on my life, I realize that each of the jobs I have done were jobs that taught me how to love God and love my neighbor. I’ve been a janitor, a Russian analyst, a banker, a computer programmer, and a CEO - and now I’m a pastor. None of the jobs were more “important” than any other, they were just different. They were ways that God used to train me in the way I should go. Think of David. He was a shepherd. God used David’s experience as a shepherd to prepare him for leading the Israelites. Same with Moses. God used Moses’ knowledge learned in Pharoah’s house to help Moses deal with the Egyptians so the Israelites could leave Egypt, and then God used Moses’ experience as a shepherd to get the Israelites to the promised land.

God even went farther by ensuring that when things in our lives didn’t go the way He wanted, “…God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. “ (Romans 5:8) He provided for the redemption of creation before He even began creating. God provided a way for us to return to our part of His plan anytime we stray.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. (Psalm 55:6)

Spend time with God regularly and watch your relationship grow.
Larry

(1)Book of Order section F-1.01

07/15/2026

July 15, 2026
Talking with God


Long ago, in a faraway land, my heavenly Father introduced Himself to me. In the 60s (1960s that is) I was in the Air Force, and my first duty station overseas was in Trabzon, Turkey. A large city on the Black Sea in the eastern part of Turkey. (About 121 miles from the border with Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.) My job was to listen to the Russians and report on what they were doing. This was when the Soviet Union was in one piece. The base was a remote site. That meant no dependants, and no distractions. The Air Force sent me there, but it was God Who directed them too.

While there, I met 2 men who met weekly for prayer, and I asked to join them. One of the men came back to the states on leave and I asked him to get me a study Bible. With just work and no other distractions, I began to hear the Lord’s invitation to spend time with Him. I learned that I could speak to God as I would a friend. I can tell Him when I’m down, when I’m upset, when I’m excited, or when I just want to spend time with Him.

This would probably be a good time to tell you why I speak of God as “Him.” When I was 5 or 6, my dad left. One day, I realized he wasn’t coming back, and it bothered me. I sat on our front porch and prayed, “God, I don’t have a daddy. What am I going to do?” Immediately I heard in my mind, “It’s OK. I’ll be your Daddy.” The problem was solved; I jumped off the porch to go play. God showed me what our relationship was to be from then on.

While I was in Turkey, I learned I didn’t have to say “Thee” and “Thou”. My prayers became conversations. I told Him what I thought, and I would listen to His responses. One time, after a particularly rough week, I asked some friends if we could just get away. One of the airmen got a truck and 4 of us went down the Black Sea coast toward the Soviet Union. We stopped at a beach, and I went toward the water to see how cold it was. The others called me back. There was a young boy there, and his sister was standing off in the distance. Between Turkish, English and hand gestures the boy said his sister wanted me to have the shell he was holding. I said thank you, they left, and we continued our journey.

When I got back to the barracks, I looked at the shell and thought about how odd that was. I told the Lord that. The response was surprising. The Lord said, “Every time you see that shell you are to pray for her.” That was my first prayer assignment. That was in 1967. As you can see, I still have the shell, and I continue to pray for her. My prayer was that she would be able to leave that part of Turkey, get an education, and marry a man who would love her. (Eastern Turkey was not westernized, and women had no rights.) I prayed that she would be able to go somewhere and learn about the love of God and meet Jesus Christ. About 20 years ago, while praying for her, the Lord stopped me. He told me that He had done everything I asked for her, and more. Now I pray that the Lord continues to bless her and her family.

Since that time, I have had many prayer assignments, and many times I have lifted others up to the Lord that He might remember them and bless them.

I’m writing this to invite you into the Lord’s conversations. We build human relationships by spending time with others. As the relationship grows, we are free to be ourselves, to be honest with our feelings and our thoughts. It is the same with our relationship with the Holy Trinity.

I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me (John 10:14)

When Jesus says He knows us, the word He uses means “through personal experience.” We are part of His creation. He knows who we are, and who He created us to be. It is the same word in the second part of that passage. “My own know me” through personal experience. Spend time with God regularly and watch your relationship grow.

Larry