Emily Parke Chase
Welcome to any who are newcomers to this site! We are in the midst of an Advent series of devotionals on the theme of “Thanking Jesus.” King David was one of the most thankful figures in the Bible. David faced many setbacks in life before he stepped onto the throne of Israel. Just as things …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 8We are already a full week into our Advent series! Thanks for joining us again for this series on “Thanking Jesus.” Today we jump forward in history, now to the book of I Samuel. The story opens with a young woman who is struggling with infertility. Hannah is one of two wives of Elkanah. The …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 7We are already on day 6 of our Advent series on “Thanking Jesus.” If you have missed any of the earlier devotionals in this series, they are all available here if you scroll down. Today, in contrast to the previous devotionals, we are going to look at a group of people who forgot to give …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 6Here is the fifth devotional in our 2016 Advent series on “Thanking Jesus.” I thank you for coming back to join us on this journey! Yesterday, we saw how Joseph gave thanks to God for placing him in Egypt, but after Joseph’s death, new rulers in Egypt enslaved the Israelites for four hundred years until …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 5Thanks for returning for the fourth in our Advent series on “Thanking Jesus.” We are exploring people in the Bible who expressed thanks to God for His blessings. Today, once again, it is not the family patriarch but one of his sons who expresses thanks to God. The patriarch Jacob, who has every reason to …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 4Welcome back for the 3rd devotional in our Advent series on “Thanking Jesus.” Yesterday we saw that it wasn’t a famous patriarch who first gave thanks to God, but a humble servant sent to Paddan-aram to find a wife for Isaac. Today we meet another person who gave thanks. Again this individual is not an …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 3Welcome back to the second in our new series of 24 Advent devotionals on “Thanking Jesus.” Did you attempt my challenge from yesterday? Several of you suggested names of candidates (including Adam, Eve, Cain and Noah to name just a few) as the first person in the Bible to give thanks to God. When I began …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 2Day 1 Many decades ago when I was just a little girl, I got the brilliant idea of preparing my Christmas thank-you notes before the holiday arrived. How was this possible? The gifts were still wrapped and under the tree! But smart me, I wrote out a template of notes that began, “Dear (blank), thank …
Read More Advent 2016 – Day 1Do you remember playing with a kaleidoscope for the first time as a child? Do you remember the fascination of seeing all the tiny blips form intricate patterns of color? Each time you twisted the toy a new pattern emerged. Recently I picked up a kaleidoscope again. The concept is not complicated. Several mirrors, …
Read More KaleidoscopeI don’t usually advertise outside events but coming up next month Bethany Christian Services, where I serve as staff chaplain, is hosting a major event for adoptive and foster care families. There are a multitude of workshops to help families and train caseworkers on how to respond more effectively to the needs of children who …
Read More Northeast Adoption & Child Welfare Summit