Home > Love & Grow > Stan Bienick: Pray, Read, Share, Sing

“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.

Hello everyone! My name is Stan Bienick. Born in Texas; relocated with my family as a teen to Florida where I finished high school, served in the US Navy for 4 years, met my wife Judy (51 years & counting) and moved to NC. In 1979 we arrived in Sylva with our two daughters, and joined Sylva FUMC.

Spiritual disciplines or “Holy Habits” as I call them as a disciple of Jesus Christ, are practiced daily. It’s the spiritual food that feeds my hunger for God every day.

Habit #1: Pray first each morning. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT. Every morning, just what I need for the day ahead.

Habit #2: Read God’s Word. Psalms 119:130 NIV says: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” I love the visual of this as I open my Bible each day.

Habit #3: I read six devotions every morning. It’s like being mentored by six friends every day.

Habit #4: I love to sing, so when the Spirit plants a particular hymn or praise song in my heart, I know He wants me to remember His word. It’s like taking a hike with your favorite walking stick. It’s keeps you balanced and provides something to rest upon after the climb.

PRAY, READ, SHARE, SING: That’s how I like to start my day.