“Spiritual disciplines” are things we do to stay in love with God and grow in faith. They can be things we do alone or together; they can be ways to spend time with God or to serve others. As the people of Sylva First UMC share one of their spiritual disciplines with you each week, we hope it will inspire you to new ways of loving God and growing in faith.
My name is Barbara Macon. I was born in New Bern, North Carolina, near the coast, and I spent the next 29 years working my way to Jackson County. I can’t say that the journey was always intentional, and in the mid-seventies when I arrived here, I couldn’t help but wonder how I had ended up living on the side of a mountain. After many conversations with God, I’m pretty sure this is exactly where he meant for me to be. How blessed I am to live in this incredibly beautiful region. As I absorb the mountains, trees, creeks, rivers, flowers, and sky on my daily walks, I’m very mindful of God’s goodness and glory. But beyond the beauty of this land, I’m even more grateful for the people I’ve known along the way. My conversations with God still center on supplications…for myself, family, friends, our country, and beyond, but I always try to begin my prayers with sincere thanks for letting me live in this particular corner of the planet.
For the most part, I think I am a fairly disciplined person, discipline meaning to learn, or to train, or to create new habits. I try to walk every day and use that time to talk with God. I try to take advantage of the learning opportunities offered through our church – the Sunday services, etc. But at the same time, I’m very aware that there is much room for improvement. I like the idea of reading a daily scripture passage on my cell phone and will try to make that a new “learning habit.”
Be well.
