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The Easy Way To Rest When You’re Exhausted

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by: Asheritah Ciuciu

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

I eyed the bright numbers on the clock telling me I’d be lucky to get four hours of sleep that night. Hitting “send” on my paper, I stumbled into bed, murmuring, “Once I graduate, then I’ll be able to rest.”

But over the years that followed, that midnight promise morphed to match new seasons:

“Once I meet this work deadline, then I’ll be able to rest.”
“Once our baby sleeps through the night, then I’ll be able to rest.”
“Once the children are in school, then I’ll be able to rest.”

Those refrains pushed me out of bed every morning and kept me working late into the night, until one day I found myself at our kitchen table, head in my hands and sobbing the words “I can’t do this anymore.”

I was exhausted.

And from talking with older women, I knew they were repeating the same worn refrain, merely aged to match their own challenges:

“Once we pay off the mortgage …”
“Once the kids leave for college …”
“Once we retire from our jobs …”

Women of all ages and stages are chasing rest, but that coveted rest eludes us all.

In a moment of clarity, I realized that rest won’t arrive on the other side of “someday” because, no matter how much we get done, there’s always more left to do.

Wiping my tears, I cried out: “God, I need You. I can’t do this anymore.” And in His kindness, God reminded me that we’re not the first generation to struggle with such things, nor are we alone.

In fact, 2,000 years ago, Jesus looked at a crowd of women and men just as exhausted as you and me, and He said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

Jesus doesn’t tell us to wake up early and go to bed late in order to hustle our way into His Kingdom. Quite the opposite. He invites us to lay down our heavy burdens and find rest in Him.

What does that look like in real life? I developed an easy-to-remember R.E.S.T. acronym to guide me toward Jesus when I feel overwhelmed, and you can use it too:

  • R: Recite God’s goodness. The next time we find ourselves hustling, let’s pause to praise God for who He is and what He’s already doing (see Psalm 103:1-2). What can we thank Him for? Let’s start there.
  • E: Express your neediness. Then we get honest with God about our struggles and sins, casting our burdens on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
  • S: Seek His stillness. Next, we take time to “be still, and know” that He is God (Psalm 46:10a, ESV). We quiet our hearts to listen to His still, small voice. Is there anything He wants to say to us? Are there any burdens or to-dos He’s asking us to lay down?
  • T: Trust His faithfulness. Finally, we declare our confidence that our good God, who began a good work in us, will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

We don’t have to wait for that elusive “someday” to experience God’s rest. The gentle and humble Jesus opens wide His arms, and He says, “Come.” Today, just as you are, come.

Is God Your Source of Encouragement?

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By Victoria Riollano

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

En·cour·age- to give support, confidence, or hope to someone.

Many of us are looking to be encouraged or supported.

We look to family.
We look to pastors.
We look to our friends.
We look to self-help books.
We look to influencers.

We look to man to give us that boost that will change our lives and perspective. However, at some point your friend will decline your call, your books will get lost, and your pastor will disappoint. This is the sad reality of life. Eventually, you will have to dig deep and find your encouragement from someone who cannot fail you… EVER!

In 2017, I learned very quickly that our source of encouragement must come from the Lord. The year started off seemingly normal. However, just three weeks in, my father-in-law passed away. Following this, my husband became severely ill as well. Thus, the person who was typically my source of encouragement was grieving and in need of physical and emotional support. Even more so, many of my personal relationships with friends had started to fade. I found myself in need of someone who could encourage me. Being a military spouse far away from home only added to this frustration of needing someone to stand alongside me. Amid all the trials, I was isolated and had very little strength to continue. 

It was during this time of my life, I realized how much I relied on other people to be my source of hope and encouragement. When all was stripped away, and I had no family, friends, or the support of my husband, I realized how I had not leaned on God as much I had pretended to for so many years. This took me on a journey of asking, “What would it look like to depend on God for my encouragement?” In other words, what would happen if God was the source of my hope and joy? I learned day by day that if I could shift my perspective on who God is and allow Him to be what keeps me going, I could get through the most difficult times of my life.

Let’s reconsider the word encourage. Encourage…or IN-courage! The truth is when someone “encourages you” they are really giving you that extra needed push to walk “in courage.” They are helping you to be fearless and keep going when you want to give up. In order to move forward and be successful, you have to learn that true encouragement comes from withIN! This is where God comes in to shake things up.

He says… Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

In other words, your courage comes from knowing that He will never leave you or forsake you. Your courage comes from knowing that everything that happens will work out in the end (Romans 8:28). YOUR courage comes from knowing that no matter what you are going through the Lord has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). Your inner courage comes from knowing that the Lord is on your side.

When we have this viewpoint, we can walk confidently in any situation. We can know full well that even when everyone and everything fails, you serve a God who sees you and who has a plan. Although God has created us to be in a community, we recognize that others do not dictate our hope. Our friends now become a resource, not our source. God is the source of our encouragement. The bible is now your personal love letter and instruction book for the midst of every trial.

It took the hardest time of my life to realize this important aspect of who God MUST be in my life. However, in learning to trust God and look Him above all else, I gained such confidence. Even more so, I was able to help my husband through his low times. The key, however, is I was able to direct Him to the Lord versus just being dependent on me. I was able to remind him that his ability to get through those hard moments will be found in God’s presence. Thus, looking to the Lord for courage and directing others to do so, puts the ball in God’s court to bring peace and support. 

Truly, there is nothing more refreshing than having God lift you up! May you be encouraged in the Lord.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

UMCOR Sunday –March 27, 2022

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God’s Mission, Our Mission
God’s Holy Spirit calls the Church into being for mission. The Church experiences and engages
in God’s mission as it pours itself out for others, ready to cross every boundary to call for true
human dignity among all peoples.


 As Jesus said: ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the
least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40)


UMCOR, The United Methodist Committee on Relief, takes this call to heart. As the
humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, UMCOR is the
hands and feet of Jesus whenever and wherever disaster strikes.


In 1940, Bishop Herbert Welch, representing the Methodist Committee for China Relief,
proposed the creation of the “Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief (MCOR),” in response to
displaced and vulnerable populations in the wake of World War II. Welch commented that
MCOR would serve as a “voice of conscience among Methodists to act in the relief of human
suffering without distinction of race, color or creed.” This mandate remains true to this day.
MCOR grew from providing necessities to refugees and displaced populations, to getting
involved in reconstruction, rehabilitation and repatriation of refugees and prisoners of war,
restoration of churches and civil operations, and reconciliation – an effort to restore peace and
goodwill.


When the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Methodist Church united into The
United Methodist Church in 1968, MCOR became UMCOR. – The United Methodist Committee
on Overseas Relief.


Later, UMCOR expanded its scope to include agricultural and community development projects,
as well as medical relief and development, and disaster risk reduction programs.
No one in 1940 could have foreseen the depths and breath of what UMCOR is today.2


UMCOR’s stated mission is: “Compelled by Christ to be a voice of conscience on behalf of the
people called United Methodist, UMCOR works globally to alleviate human suffering and
advance hope and healing.”


This transformative work is categorized into three areas:
• Humanitarian Relief/Disaster Response
• Sustainable Development
• Global Health

If you’d like to give to UMCOR Sunday, please mark your offering as such. There will be envelopes available to you on Sunday.


1 Theology of Mission, Global Ministries, https://www.umcmission.org/Learn-About-Us/About-GlobalMinistries/Theology-of-Mission 2 New World Outlook, 75 years of UMCOR. Christie House, editor.

Prayer for Ukraine, by Kayla Craig

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Prayer for Ukraine, by Kayla Craig

O God of peace, our hearts are heavy
And our brains can barely keep up with the breaking news.
We don’t know what to say or what to do in a world so wounded.
So we come to you with hearts heavy for
All who sit in the crossfires of violence and acts of war.

O God of peace, be with the people of Ukraine.
With the mothers who carry babies to subway shelters.
With the fathers who hold their heads in their hands.
With the children who absorb the traumas.
Of violent acts of powerful men.

O God of peace, we don’t know the words to pray
For a warring world and all who are vulnerable in it.
We don’t pretend to know the extent of the damages
Or what tomorrow (or today) will bring.
But we know that you are a God of peace
And we can’t bomb our way to shalom.

O God of peace, comfort the crying and heal the hurt.
Tend the aching and soothe the fearful.
Make us instruments of your peace
Creating a sacred symphony where
Rhythms of grace are danced upon
And evil has lost its sting, now and forevermore.
O God of peace, hear our prayer.

Still Lost, Despite Handheld Directions

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By: Meg Bucher

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” - Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

I blindly began to follow the directions after clicking on the linked address, but a quick glance revealed the wrong state map. Thankfully I hadn’t gotten far, because my sense of direction is not reliable!

How easily we trust our hand-held directions, and so often we let our little devices direct our thoughts as well as our traveling routes. Our portable screens can hijack what we think about, are upset over, discontent in, or jealous of. Accessibility can make it incredibly easy to lose our sense of direction, even when we’re grounded in Truth. Though created in God’s image, we have the innate temptation to wander away from Jesus’ lead.

Jeremiah had a troubling message to deliver to God’s people, who had continually chosen to wander the side trails of idolatry, which means putting anything above God in importance. Even though God had made His love for them so evident and clear with centuries full of miracles and rescue moments, their attention remained easily diverted. The consequences wouldn’t be easy for them to hear, or walk through. Many would never return to the land God promised for them, for it would be seventy years before anyone went home. But God still cared so deeply for the state of their hearts, He assured them in today’s verse, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

They would not lose God’s love. Not even in consequence for their rebellious wandering. Though it would be a long and hard journey, Jeremiah prophesied of a Messiah that would be born from the line of David. Something unimaginable for God’s people. When the small remnant promised to survive the exile returned home as God promised, they were still the same easily distracted people they were before. Many missed Jesus when He did, in fact, come exactly the way God said He would. (Fulfilling over 300 prophesies!)

The VOICE paraphrase of today’s verse reads: “I have loved you with an everlasting love- out of faithfulness I have drawn you close.” 

God’s love cannot be earned by what we do, or lost by what we’ve done or will do.

He is God, and His love does not waver like human love. He is not like our earthly caregivers, who become exhausted with our antics. His embrace is always at the ready, faithful and steady. Our Rock. Our Redeemer. When we get lost, we can drop to our knees,  and in an instant remember who we are. There is power in the name of Jesus, and when we are lost, whether on the road or in our thoughts, we can call it out knowing He will calm our souls and guide our minds.

Important for us, today, is the sacrifice Jesus made for ALL. Meaning, we will share in the inheritance of God’s people, all who believe in Jesus Christ, and the salvation He died to give us. God’s plan cannot be overturned. He faithfully reminds us, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Skydiving with JesusBarb Roose

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Today’s Truth:

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here” (Matthew 14:27 NLT).

During a Monday morning planning meeting, I was given two choices: pet a tarantula or jump out of an airplane. I picked jumping out of an airplane because I am that afraid of spiders! Which one would you choose?

The next morning, I drove across my home state with two co-workers to go skydiving. As I passed the highway exit near my hometown, I considered giving my parents a call. However, wisdom, or maybe self-preservation, prevailed. I figured that if I didn’t die skydiving, my mother would surely kill me to keep me from jumping out of the plane.

After I arrived, the training staff taught us the basics of how to jump and how parachutes worked. I appreciated the information; however, thousands of nervous butterflies were skydiving in my stomach. It was knowing that my experienced jump instructor would be present and tethered to me during the jump that made the difference with my anxiety.

In Matthew 14:27, Jesus reminds the disciples of His presence in perilous circumstances. Shortly after feeding 5,000 men and their families, Jesus sent the disciples across the lake to wait for Him. Even though the disciples knew how to manage the boat, that didn’t take away their fear when a fierce storm blew across the lake. The disciples were in trouble and in Mark’s account, he wrote that the disciples were rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves (Mark 6:48).

Are you “rowing hard and struggling” in one of life’s storms? It’s easy to panic when you’re doing all that you can and you still fear that all will be lost. Perhaps you’re facing a parenting challenge and no matter what you’ve learned from the therapists or books, you’re still pacing the floor at night. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a life-changing illness and while you’ve got treatment plans and expert care, the waves of grief and uncertainty pummel you day and night. Not only do you feel the fear, but it’s exhausting, isn’t it?

Jesus speaks eight, powerful and practical words to the disciples that apply to you today, no matter what you’re facing: 

“Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”

Notice how Jesus didn’t tell them to steer the boat differently. Furthermore, He didn’t criticize them for being afraid. In their panic, Jesus knew that the only effective measure was to show up with his calming presence. Jesus called the disciples to take their eyes off the storm and focus on Him and experience His peace in the midst of the storm. An interesting note, as the story continued to unfold, Jesus invites Peter to walk on water and yet, the strong winds and waves continue. Yet, in Jesus’ presence, Peter had the courage to step out and walk on water in the midst of the storm.

Today, you can be encouraged! Jesus’ presence is always near, so you can live in bold courage rather than fear. Even as the circumstances of your life whip and whirl around you, courageously do whatever God has called you to do. He is right with you!

When the tiny crop plane reached 10,000 feet over the jump point, my instructor tethered his jumpsuit to mine and opened the door. The loud rush of cold wind filled my ears, but I heard his voice in the wind: “I’m right here.” Even though we would free-fall at 120 mph back toward earth, I felt the intensity of the fall, but never the fear because my instructor was near.

What are those waves named in your life? Imagine yourself sitting in a boat and picture Jesus walking toward you saying, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.” Even if you can’t see him in your difficult moment, he is near to you today.

Let’s Pray

God, I am grateful that I can face the storms of life with peace and courage because Your presence is always with me. Whisper Jesus’ words to my heart and soul today whenever I focus too much on the waves of fear, uncertainty or stressful circumstances. Thank You that I am never alone! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Prayer for Ukraine

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This prayer was written by a Resonate missionary in Ukraine, Rev. George de Vuyst. As conflict escalates in this country, consider using this prayer on Sunday to pray for peace for our brothers and sisters around the world. In the midst of war and conflict, we join our voices as one to pray for one of our own and for many of God’s own.  **NOTE THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT RUSSIA STARTED A FULL SCALE INVASION**

Heavenly Father, we come to you with heavy hearts as we see war in Ukraine.  We pray that you would be merciful on the people of Ukraine and Russia and end this war.  Grant wisdom to world leaders to effectively stop evil.  Allow for the truth to be known, for lies to be shown for what they are, and for evil-doers to be thwarted.

Lord, we pray for those who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods.  Comfort and provide for the needs of those who have been displaced and seek refuge.  Lord, we ask for mercy and we seek justice.  We pray that you would be at worked in both.

We pray for the day when all wars will cease and when your peaceful reign will come fully.  But in the meantime, we pray that you would use us to facilitate the coming of your kingdom here and now.  Help us to take action to bring peace, to care for the victims of war, and to work for justice.  Help us to live according to the principles of your Kingdom today, and to remain faithful until your Kingdom comes fully at your return. Grant courage to your church in Russia, in Ukraine, and here to speak truth to power and to prophetically proclaim the truths of your Kingdom as well as the day of grace that still remains for those who repent.  

Lord, we pray for Vladimir Putin.  We pray that you would change his heart and work your miracle of salvation in his life.  If he continues in his wicked ways, we pray that you would restrain his evil and have mercy on those who suffer because of it.

In all these things, we trust you, because you are our loving Father.  We ask that you would keep us faithful by the power of your Spirit and that you would be with your church in Ukraine – that in times of war it would faithfully follow you and represent you before the nations.  Heal the wounds, we pray, both physical and the wounds of the heart.  Reconcile the nations with you and with each other by the power of the cross of our reigning Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Why do we observe Ash Wednesday?

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One Wednesday a year, sometime in February or March, you notice people at work, school, or elsewhere with a smudge on her forehead. Then you remember it is Ash Wednesday and they must have received the imposition of ashes.

This practice we use to mark the first day of Lent may seem odd. People go to church mid-week to have a cleric place dirt on their foreheads.

In the early days of the church, it was even more dramatic. Pastors did not dip their thumbs into the ashes to draw the shape of a cross on your forehead. Instead, they poured or sprinkled ashes over your head.

Under other circumstances, most would run from the filth of ashes. Yet we participate in this practice that is growing in popularity. In fact, the receiving of ashes seems to connect with all sorts of people.

The Rev. Kim Kinsey applies ashes outside of her church building.

The Rev. Kim Kinsey offers ashes to a youth on the sidewalk outside of Christ United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, NM. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Kim Kinsey.

Why ashes?

In “A Service for Worship for Ash Wednesday” in the United Methodist Book of Worship, two suggestions of what worship leaders may say as they make the sign of the cross on another’s forehead are offered: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” and “Repent, and believe the gospel.” Each points to an aspect of what the ashes represent.

Remember that you are dust…

Ashes were an ancient symbol of our humanity. In Genesis, we read that God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word translated dust, is occasionally translated ashes elsewhere.

When Abraham felt the need to acknowledge the difference between him, a human being, and the infinite God, he referred to himself as dust and ashes. “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord,” he said, “I who am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).

…and to dust you shall return

Our humanity also calls to mind our mortality.

After expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the first humans are told by God, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV). A sobering thought for each of us.

Ancient people wore ashes as a sign of mourning. For example, Mordecai puts on sackcloth and ashes to grieve the many deaths he sees coming from an order King Ahasuerus gives to kill all Jewish people (Esther 4:1-3). The prophet Jeremiah later calls the people of God to “roll in ashes” as a way of mourning the coming devastation from an opposing army (Jeremiah 6:26).

Receiving the imposition of ashes is a powerful way to confront our humanity and mortality. They remind us that we are not God, but God’s good creation. In them we recognize that our bodies will not last forever, and come face-to-face with the reality of our eventual death.

Repent…

Ashes also signify our sorrow for the mistakes we have made. People in ancient times wore sackcloth and ashes as a way of expressing their repentance of their sins.

When Jonah reluctantly preached to the people of Nineveh after the giant fish spit him up on the beach, the King and his people put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. God saw this act of repentance and spared the people (Jonah 3:1-10).

In the New Testament, Jesus warms the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida saying, “if the miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed their hearts and lives and put on funeral clothes and ashes a long time ago.” (Matthew 11:21 CEB).

The dried palms from the previous Palm Sunday are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Photo by Kathryn Price, United Methodist Communications.

On Ash Wednesday, we confront our sin. We recognize our inability to live up to all God has created us to be, and our need to be forgiven. No matter how far we have come in our spiritual journeys, each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

The palms waved the previous Palm Sunday to welcome Jesus as our King, are burned to form the ashes. In a sense, they serve as a reminder of how far we fall short of living up to the glory of Christ. 

…and believe the gospel

While this all may sound fatalistic, it is not the end of the story. Lent leads to Easter, the day we celebrate that though our bodies are temporary and our lives are flawed, a day of resurrection will come when we will live in the presence of God forever.

One Wednesday every year we worship to remember who we are, and hopeful of who we can be.

A Prayer to Remember Where Our Help Comes From

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By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! – Psalm 121:1

Over the years there have been many people and places that we turn to when we need help: Facebook friends, Dear Abby, Google, our moms. But so often, in spite of good intentions, their advice leaves us longing for more. Many times the advice hurts more than helps, and sometimes they are simply dead wrong. So why do we choose them? Convenience, proximity, or maybe a secret hope that they will tell us what we want to hear? All possible reasons that each of us can identify with, I think. But when Mary was faced with a problem and needed help in John 2:3, she turned to the only One who could be her Helper that day. The only One who is the Helper we all need: Jesus.

Mary, Jesus, and the disciples were attending a wedding in Cana, and the hosts ran out of wine. According to their culture and that time in history, they risked great humiliation. Mary called Jesus for help and told the servants to “do whatever He tells you.” So they did. And Jesus performed his first public miracle, turning water into wine. If only our problems were that simple to solve, right? But maybe they are. The truth is that their problem was resolved because of two simple choices, the same choices we all have to make:

First – Who will we ask for help?

“I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” -Psalm 121:1

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” – John 6:68

Our problems do not always have simple solutions, but the decision of who to ask for help should be the simplest of all. David, Peter, and many others knew Who to go to. It didn’t mean they didn’t fear or fret or doubt at times. But they made a choice to trust, to hope, to turn their hearts and minds and souls and spirits to the One who is able to do so much more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph.3:20). And sometimes the help that the Lord offers may come in the form of Godly counsel from other Believers or counselors. It may mean waiting and doing nothing. But seek His will and wisdom and guidance first, and the rest will fall into place.

Psalm 121:1, inspirational image

Second – Will we do whatever Jesus tells us to do?

“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15

I sure wish this was easier to carry out. I know from experience that my heart wants to obey. I want to speak and act and love like Jesus would have me do. But carrying those things out with my earthly flesh that wants what I want when I want, that gets offended and hurt and embarrassed, that, truth be told, wants to rebel many times because of my feelings and judgments, is much easier said than done. And I find myself half-obeying many times. I may feel His nudge to forgive and actively serve the person who hurt me. So I agree to forgive…but don’t carry out that action of love and service. The “whatever” He tells me may seem unreasonable at times. Too odd or unjust. And I don’t know what people will think…so I choose to blend in with the crowd rather than risk looking foolish.

“Whatever He tells you…” Those servants risked looking foolish that day as they filled jars used to cleanse others with water, expecting it to somehow become wine. Noah, Moses, Esther, John the Baptist and so many others risked looking foolish because they agreed to do what the Lord told them to do. His directions take faith, y’all. They take extreme courage and a longing to please God rather than men. And in this world, that is so very hard. But the choice is ours to make.

Pray. Pray hard and seek the Lord and His will above all else. Avoid the temptation to seek earthly wisdom first. Then wait. And see how the Lord will help you when you choose to seek His approval above all else.

Dear Jesus, 

Forgive me for running to the people and things of this world for help before coming to you. Thank you for being my Helper and loving me in spite of my shortcomings. Help me remember Who you are and where my help comes from. Give me strength, courage, and a boldness to seek you and your approval above all else.

In Your Mighty Name,

Amen