Pausing To Praise Archives - SheilaKCampbell.com

Peace to You

A year after attending Second Baptist for the first time, I am still awed by the love and beauty I experience there every week. I love the people, the music, and the traditions observed there. This is where I am called to worship. Recently, as I looked around me during this time of fellowship, I was reminded of the priestly blessings of Numbers 6:24 -26. And so, as a benediction to 2024 and a blessing for you in 2025, I pray this for my church congregation, my dear friends, my precious family, and all who ‘stumble’ across this message. This blessing is for you.

Morning Moonlight

Life is busy for many of us. Perhaps you, too, feel overwhelmed or worn down and bone weary by a ‘to-do’ list that seems to grow longer each day. Sometimes, peace alludes us, and our weary soul cries out, “Where are you, God?”

Pause and Pay Attention

I don’t know about you, but as I struggle with decisions, I want clear signposts that say, “You’re on the right track. This is the way to a happy and fulfilled life. This is the door to your dreams—open here.” But our decisions usually aren’t simple; most of the time, there are no signposts. Perhaps, like me, you’re wondering if you – if I – dare to take the less traveled path. Do we even know how to do that? What is the next step?

A Debtor to Grace

Last week, I was reminded how hard and humbling it is to receive what we cannot repay. So, I’m reflecting on how our hearts accept grace as an old hymn we recently sang at church echoes through my thoughts.

Duty, Desire, and Delight

I jump out of bed eagerly anticipating the day. It is early and my only day off in a six-day workweek filled with the obligation of my job. Today is Sunday, and I can choose between duty and desire. Today I am not governed by the clock. Today I can read for as long as I want the books that beckon for space in my spare margins. And today there is time to pour out words like water from my soul. I may do some of these things later today, but that is not why I have jumped from my bed eager to start my day.

Teach Us to Number Our Days

Teach us to number our days….The old King James translation still echoes in my mind when I think of this verse. As a teenager, I thought this verse meant we were not to waste a single minute of our day. We were to be as productive as possible with every single day, every single hour, and every single minute. But reflecting on the impact of Psalm 90:12, I discovered it’s not about constant productivity but a deep relationship with God.

What We Seek

As I took my dogs on a much-needed walk through the fields, I thought about a quote I recently read from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What we seek we shall find. What we flee from flees from us.”
Thinking about this quote, I wondered, “What I am seeking this year? What do I want 2024 to hold for me?”

Falling Leaves and Passing Seasons

Beautiful autumn leaves remind me of the passing of time and the intertwining of joy and sorrow. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to embrace both blessings and grief and acknowledge that both shape our human experience. Life is complex and we wholly live when we can hold both gladness and grief with gratitude.

Today: A Day to Live Life Deliberately

The calendar has turned to September and the days are noticeably shorter. Summer has passed. The changing seasons remind me how quickly time passes. I don’t want to waste it. I want to live life deliberately, and to live life well. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught his followers to simply pray for today. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

A Summer Pause

Summer’s long days, warm sunshine, and outdoor activities are cherished, but finding balance between work and rest is hard. If we’re not intentional, we will spend all our time running through summer and no time actually being present in it. But pausing to enjoy peaceful presence can be essential to finding peace and contentment, especially in the midst of busyness.

Category: Pausing To Praise