Weekly Roundup: Sunday, February 9, 2025
We cannot worry our way into a better tomorrow.
A story in The Houston Chronicle tells of when a famed violinist played at the Lincoln Center in the fall of 1995. She played with passion and energy until a string popped on her violin right in the middle of the concert.
There was a stunned silence.
The reporter wrote, “Of course, anyone knows it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night, the famed violinist refused to know. At one point, it sounded like she was de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made.”
In an interview after the show, the violinist said, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
The point where life’s challenges turn into life’s beautiful masterpieces is where we replace worry with surrender.
Jesus says, “Stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
Refusing to worry doesn’t mean the problem will magically disappear. The thing you are most concerned about may be a legitimate concern.
Refusing to worry means trusting God with your future. You are not the god of tomorrow, and you cannot worry your way into a better future.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekend Prayer
Heavenly Father, When life’s challenges loom large, help us remember that You alone hold tomorrow. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: Life’s most powerful transformations happen where our worry ends and our surrender begins. You are not the god of tomorrow—entrust your future to Him.
A Question to Consider: In what ways does worrying about tomorrow prevent us from fully engaging with today's opportunities?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
What do you call an apple that plays the trumpet? A tooty fruity!
What did the sweet potato say to the pumpkin? I yam what I yam !
Leadership Reflection:
“Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34)
Imagining worst-case scenarios saps our focus from the actions that truly matter now. Leaders who model steady composure encourage their teams to focus on present tasks rather than getting lost in what could go wrong in the future. This doesn’t mean ignoring legitimate concerns. Instead, it means trusting that while you can’t control every external factor, you can control how you respond.
Calm and confident leadership transforms crisis into possibility. When you choose not to let worry dominate your thoughts, you lead with clarity, resourcefulness, and hope.
Photo Taken By Me
Book I am reading this week
Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel by Loretta J Ross
Summary: In 1979, Loretta Ross was a single mother who’d had to drop out of Howard University. She was working at Washington, DC’s Rape Crisis Center when she got a letter from a man in prison saying he wanted to learn how not to be a rapist anymore. At first, she was furious. As a survivor of sexual violence, she wanted to write back, pouring out her rage. But instead, she made a different choice, a choice to reject the response her trauma was pushing her towards, a choice that set her on the path towards developing a philosophy that would come to guide her whole career: rather than calling people out, try to call even your unlikeliest allies in. Hold them accountable—but do so with love.
Found Interesting on Social Media
Podcast Worth Listening to:
Articles that caught my eye (not many this week)
Living Like a Monk in the Age of Fast Living
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
In the Kitchen
Click Here for Super Bowl Snack Recipes
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia
February 23 / 4pm / Gainesville First UMC
Hitch up your wagons! Saddle up your horses! You won’t want to miss “The Best of the Wild West!”. The Believers Concert Band’s next performance celebrates all things western – the ranches, the hoedowns, the bandanas, cowboy boots and jeans! Join us and the Gainesville Ballet Company as we admire the Yellow Rose of Texas, wade in the Shenandoah River, dance throughout Oklahoma, and charge across the Ponderosa!
Wear your favorite Western attire or come as you are, but plan on an afternoon of toe tappin’ and havin’ yourself a gallopin’ good time!
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
As you step into tomorrow, may you discover that what was once your limitation is now your greatest opportunity for growth. Go in confidence, knowing that God’s hand will guide and sustain you every step of the way. Amen.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” - Corrie Ten Boom
“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay.” - Maya Angelou
