First Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso

We are in the midst of that time between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For many, it is a time that is anticipated and enjoyable because there is more time with family and friends, there is good food (too much usually) and oftentimes less work days with more time off to enjoy the holidays. As we are finding out, for some families the joy has been tarnished by the loss of a loved one, or a serious illness or some other type of event that caused more sadness than joy. The Ca

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. -1 Peter 4:10 (NRSV) As I headed to Panera recently for lunch, the jammed parking lots around the Target shopping area provided a noticeable reminder of what the Christmas focus is for many... gifts! Toys, electronics, clothing, jewelry, a new pet and, if all else fails, gift cards! Of course, there will also be the gift of time with family and friends, holiday part

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love... these are the four themes that we are reminded of each year during Advent season. In fact, these four themes are illuminated by a lit candle during each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. While the Advent season inspires Christians to share these God-given gifts in anticipating the coming or birth of Jesus and his second coming, these beautiful qualities carry special meaning as we approach the third decade of the 21st century. Quite ho

A recent development in my life has been the proliferation of passwords. Back in high school, the only thing that I had to commit to memory was my locker combination and the phone numbers of my friends. Passwords was a game show during which Charles Nelson Riley would make an inappropriate joke which would fly over my young head. Now, I have passwords to access my phone. I have passwords to access my computer. I have passwords for my Internet. I have passwords for my iPad