Susandoodles

Susandoodles

Love God, love life, love one another.

Susan is trained in journalism, teaching and ministry;
now retired, the blog provides a means to continue sharing thoughts.

Category: Lifestyle

  • How gluttony becomes a sin

    Good morning, Church Family, I am Susan Smith, the associate pastor and I know you are all as tired of the cold and snow as I am, but we are looking forward to Spring like weather this week.   Sadly, though a quick google search reveals the behaviors of people partying…

  • Yes, 2021 arrived, now a few musings for a new year

    For a week, I have thought about how to look at 2021.  One challenge that showed up in my inbox was to identify one word for the new year.  Immediately one popped up:  Resilience.  Why?  Think about the history of our country.  How many times has a challenge presented itself and the very principles that…

  • Christmas Day musings 2020:

    An exercise in stream of conscious writing When I woke up at 4:30 this morning, I could not help but remember how many times as a kid that 4:30 did not seem so early for Christmas morning.  This time I did not run to the living room to see what Santa…

  • Blue Christmas thoughts

    All the world seems excited to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, holiday traditions, and the excitement of Christmas, but for others the holiday season is a struggle.  The reasons for feeling blue in the midst of all the holiday hype ranges from the loss of a spouse, family member,…

  • Thoughts from Quarantine 2020

    Waking up this morning, I feel Christmas sneaking in on me.  There are clouds and the possibility to see snowflakes in the air, and it is cold–24 degrees.  And yet, I am in quarantine. Christmas has been central to my life forever.  Growing up on the farm, Christmas was a time we developed…

  • Happy Thanksgiving–a little late

         Typically we would begin sharing thoughts about all the positive outcomes of the year today, but the 2020 year has certainly challenged us to find positives to share.      When we last visited, I did share that even through this COVID season, there are some positives developing.  It is so important to…

  • Positive Twists COVID-19 Season

         The last seven months our comfortable American lifestyle has redefined itself.   The daily routines have shifted, schools are in crisis, economy erratic, families rattled–the list grows.      Yet, there is an irony to the entire situation, and I pray that there are some dramatic shifts for the positive in our lifestyle that…

  • Psalm 42: Prayers for help

    Hello, Friends,      I know I am way behind sharing with you, but these past months have greatly altered our daily lives.  After I started working with the local UMC, my time use has shifted.  Anyway, I will continue to share whenever I can, and today is the sermon I gave on July…

  • Learning from the New Testament couple Priscilla & Aquilla

    Growing up in the Methodist Church in Montgomery City, my world was expanded by the people with whom our family worshiped.  I would like to introduce you to Burt and Beth.  My mental picture of them is watching Burt open the car door outside the church, reach in for Beth as she…

  • Surprising times challenge faith, Redefine today’s lifestyle, goals

    How many times do we experience something in our lives and we cannot believe what just happened?  Maybe it was a near accident, maybe it was a health issue, maybe it was a work achievement.  Afterwards, we just walk away and marvel at the outcome. Maybe we are in the midst of…