But this I call to mind... But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. Lamentations 3:21-22 What a tender week it has been. The pain and grief in our community is palpable. Lives have been turned upside down and we are not sure what happens next. For many of us, we turn to our phones and computers looking for information… Doom Scrolling… scrolling through the newsfeed on Facebook or twitter on our phone or computer. This rarely leads to peace of mind. So what to do… For starters, why not take a deep breath. No…I mean it. Take a breather. Stop. Put the phone down…turn off the computer (or radio or TV)… and fill your lungs with air - you might want to do this several times. And with each breath in, think of God breathing life into your lungs. Call to mind God's steadfast love and mercy. Pray! Sing! (Remember that when you sing you pray twice!) Be of service to someone. Pick up the phone and check in on that person who has been on your mind. Send someone a card and let them know that you are thinking of them. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 Finally, you might take note of the list of things that the apostle Paul encourages us to think about. In fact, you might want to keep a list somewhere handy that you can add to in the days and weeks ahead. When the world feels like it is falling apart it is easy to forget the good…so go back to the list from time to time and refresh your memory! I don’t offer this as some kind of “Don’t worry, be happy” advice. Simply a reminder to make a practice of noting the steadfast love and mercy of our Creator in our lives and the world about us. Blessings, Matthew+ | 
