On Wednesday all cell phones in the US sounded off about 11:20am with a message from the US government. FEMA conducted a test of the emergency alert system that warns the public about emergencies.

Some of my favorite stories in the bible are about everyday people who aren't necessarily heroes but love the Lord and are just faithful where they're at. In 1 Chronicles 21, we read of such a man named Araunah.

Are you listening?  Are you paying attention? Are you tuning in to hear what God is saying to you through His indwelling Holy Spirit? He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Koinonia is the Greek word commonly used in the New Testament for fellowship. It describes the unity of the Spirit that comes from Christians' shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviors. When those shared values are in place, genuine koinonia (biblical fellowship) occurs.

At times like this, I think about the biblical practice of lament, although I think lament is appropriate anytime we experience deep pain or sorrow in our lives, not just large-scale tragedies. In hopes we might become more familiar with the practice of lament, the following is an excerpt of an article by June Dickie that I thought might be helpful.

Now if you're familiar with sleepovers, you probably know that very little sleep actually happens. We should probably change the name to all-night hangout because that's what it really is, 20 kids spending all night playing games, eating snacks, worshipping, and hanging out. As tiring as it was though, it was great to see them having fun together.