Received: 2026-09-09 23:51:21

Please pray for my sister in law, Val Spenler. She has been battling lung cancer for the past two years. There have been ups and downs, but it had remained fairly stable with medication until recently when the medication stopped working. Fluid is building up in her lungs causing difficulty with breathing. She will be starting weekly chemo as well beginning Thursday, September 10th.

It’s no surprise of course that words are another way through which we both receive and give love.

True for us, and true for God. Whether or not you felt like you were able to “hear” God’s voice in that silent space just now, the truth is that God has given us many words expressing his heart toward us. So let’s take a minute to listen to these declarations God has already made about his deep and abiding love for every single one of us.

  • See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! – 1 John 3:1
  • Like a shepherd God will tend the flock; he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. – Isaiah 40:11
  • The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17
  • “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
  • For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:13-14
  • I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness. – Jeremiah 31:3
  • Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. – Isaiah 49:15-16
  • Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
Contemplations
Love Languages: Words of Affirmation

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Reflection
Prayer of St. Patrick's

St. Patrick was a follower of Jesus hundreds of years ago and was known for many things, one of which being this prayer. These words, written so long ago, still ring true today. When you struggle to find the words, allow this prayer to become a reflection and connect with the presence of Christ all around you. 

Reflection
Family of Origin

You’ve probably heard the saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” – which could come as good or bad news to you, depending on how you feel about the “tree” you fell from... 

Activities
Gratitude #2

Today we want to engage in the practice of Gratitude. And to do this, you’ll need a physical piece of paper – and something to write with. In our day-to-day lives, it can be easy to focus on whatever feels like it isn’t going the way we want, and slip often into grumbling and complaining. And that behavior can have a very negative impact on our emotional and even physical well-being. 

At Southridge, we believe that LGBTQ+ people are deeply loved by God and are full image bearers of God, each bringing unique value to our community. In that spirit, everyone is welcome to belong and participate in the life of our church.  

As a fully-inclusive Jesus-centred church, LGBTQ+ followers of Jesus have full and equal opportunity to participate in baptism, membership, leadership, employment, and marriage.

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