​A ding on my phone reminds me: I need to write a reflection for the Friday Log. That ding--one of many I will hear today--is more than just information. It carries expectation. Time to produce. Time to perform. Time to be useful.
 
I could quickly cobble something together; I have plenty of old sermons and articles. I could pull out a quote from Bonhoeffer or Berry or Brueggemann and send it away in email, triumphantly crossing off a to-do list item. Instead, I am giving myself some freedom to reflect.
 
That kind of grace is not automatic. The dings and deadlines of modern life tempt us to hurry forward under the illusion that faster means better. That more means faithful. But what is the quality of what we are producing--and who are we becoming
in the process? Do we pretend that “faster” and “more” have some intrinsic value of their own?
 
​I think of the youth I see and know. They are remarkable, kind, and curious. Many are also exhausted. Their calendars are full. Their lives are high-performance machines, tuned for college apps, scholarships, and résumé lines. It’s easy to believe that this is just how things are now. And yes, parents, I know what month it is--is someone paying each of you to shake your head and say, “May is a crazy month?” But I wonder: What space remains for rest? For play? For unstructured joy that leaves room for the Spirit?
 
Please hear me: I don’t want to add on to a pile of guilt. Parenting and pastoring already come with enough of that. Much of the busyness of our culture is a societal issue that you won’t solve by rethinking your week. I just want to remind you (and myself) that grace is available, and that presence matters more than performance.
 
We schedule because we must; there are classes, jobs, worship services to lead. Not every moment can be free. Yet flexibility is often filled with fear or guilt: If we slow down, what might catch up with us?
 
In Christian theology, the calendar and schedule are key because Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God fully human, entered time not to rush through it, but to redeem it. He lived with holy purpose, not with panic. He freely gave his presence, and that presence healed, restored, and transformed.
 
There is no achievement, program, strategic plan, or class that will make us whole. There is no amount of money I can pay a tutor, counselor, or teacher that will redeem my children. Only Christ does that. Often, true healing comes in unexpected, quiet moments rather than planned appointments.
 
We parent and we pastor (shepherding souls) to create space for grace, freedom, and for one another, teaching children how to truly live, not just succeed. Like Jesus, let us find power in presence.
 
In Christ,

Rev. Josh McDaniel
Pastor of Students & Missions

Last Sunday during The Brook, I had the honor of leading our children's movement. The scripture lesson for the day was from the story of Hannah and Samuel. Pastor Jennie’s sermon title was “On Loan from God,” and she talked about how all our children are ultimately God's children. Really, all of us are ultimately God's children, and whatever responsibility or obligation we have to one another is because we are in relationship to one another through our Creator. To illustrate this point to the children, I brought a library card with me.
 
If you were at this service, you might remember a young boy who spoke up before I could get around to making the connection between the library card and our identity. The young boy raised his hand and said, “You must be really smart to know how a library card will relate to God.” He got some big laughs, and he set me up to prove myself. I assured him that I had a plan. I talked about how when we check out books from the library, we don't actually own them, and we must treat them nicely and return them to the library when we are done. Similarly, we as human beings are not “owned" by our parents or our spouse. We are all, primarily, the treasured possession of our holy and loving God.
 
At the end of my little talk, I asked the boy, “Did I land it?!” And he said “yes!” This was definitely a highlight of my ministry, and it reminded me of an activity my youth group used to do on trips and at camp. We would nominate one person to lead a devotional and pick a random thing they had to include in the devotional. Perhaps they had to include a sports team or an unusual animal. It sounds a little impious, but also a great way to stretch our holy imagination.
 
We do not expect to see God working outside of the usual spaces. We do not always look for the connection between the mundane and the holy.  We tend to lead compartmentalized lives, keeping our faith separate, perhaps in an honest attempt to keep our faith holy.
 
A few weeks ago, I was gifted a prayer book called “Every Moment Holy.”  It is a collection of prayers and liturgies for perfectly ordinary moments in life. The book has prayers for washing dishes, doing yard work, dropping the kids off at school, and more than one prayer for changing diapers (something we’re doing a lot lately at my house). In using this book, I have been encouraged to look for the holy amid the ordinary, to see how God might be working or trying to teach me something new. Often, this practice takes just a little bit of imagination (when changing diapers, it takes a lot of imagination). However, using our imagination to see God in the ordinary and mundane helps to break open our compartmentalized lives and connect with our Creator on more than just Sunday morning.
 
My prayer for all of us is that we might push ourselves to more fully participate in God’s holy imagination. I hope that we might more readily see the connection between library books and loving our neighbor, between changing diapers and caring for the least of these. And when we use our imagination to make these connections, I believe we will be transformed along the way. May we have an imagination that wonders beyond our present circumstances, to see God working in every part of our ordinary lives.
 
In Christ,

Rev. Kena Newkirk
​Pastor of Discipleship & Connections

Mother’s Day
by Carol Matthews
 
​A Mother loves right from the start.
She holds her baby close to her heart.
The bond that grows will never falter.
Her love is so strong it will never alter.
A Mother gives never ending Love.
She never feels that she has given enough.
For you she will always do her best.
Constantly working, there's no time to rest.
A Mother is there when things go wrong.
A hug and a kiss to help us along.
Always there when we need her near.
Gently wipes our eyes when we shed a tear.
So, on this day shower your Mother with Love.
Gifts and presents are nice but that is not enough.
Give your Mother a day to have some peace of mind.
Be gentle, be good, be helpful, be kind.
 
​A mother’s love is unique. A mother’s love is special. A mother’s love is something that we will always cherish and will never be forgotten. My mother was a special person indeed. Her name was Hester Mae Young. She received her reward on May 28,2021 at the age of 93. Moma was a dedicated Methodist living her life for Christ; always putting others ahead of herself. You were always so kind and gentle but knew when to be stern and courageous. I know how much you sacrificed for us every day of your life when things were scarce. Your love and guidance will be a part of us and your memory will live in our hearts forever. One of my favorite memories is when you said to me, "BOY, WHATEVER YOU DO IN LIFE DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.” I will always remember that! We are so grateful to have had you for a mom. Thanks for everything! I do know that everyone that has a mother that has passed feels the same as I do. May your mother’s love live in your hearts forever and ever until we meet again.

In Christ,

Jerome Young
Facilities Manager

​Sunday is Preschool Sunday here at Northbrook. It's a day we celebrate the amazing ministry that Northbrook Preschool is to our congregation and the community of Roswell. We will celebrate the leadership, the teachers, and the students of our Preschool and some of the students will even help lead elements of worship in the Sanctuary. Then we will have a BBQ luncheon and cake auction to help the preschool raise money for new playground equipment right here on our campus! It's going to be a glorious day and I hope you'll join us.
 
I love our preschool and that I get to teach Chapel to these amazing kids and their teachers twice a month. Quite a few of my dearest friends are preschool teachers. I love them. There’s something in the spirit of one who chooses to be around little-bitty people during their “becoming” that is something I want to be around. It’s unique and it’s magical and I love it.
 
However, something I hear all too often from them is “just”. Well, I JUST teach preschool… JUST part-time. I JUST teach letters; they’re small. I JUST teach colors; they’re small. I JUST teach shapes; they’re small. I JUST teach preschoolers.  
 
And it’s TRUE that letters are small, but letters make words and words are POWERFUL. It’s TRUE that colors are small, but colors make art and art is POWERFUL. It’s TRUE that shapes are small, but shapes make buildings and art and cars and furniture – shapes make up our world and that is POWERFUL. And it’s true that preschoolers are small, but they have the potential to be POWERFUL. 
 
It’s so easy to think “just” about anything we do because when you look at the grand scheme of the world and all God put in it, the small offerings we bring can feel so small and “just”-like. But the small things you do on a daily basis MATTER. Teachers aren’t just teaching shapes, colors, letters, and numbers. They are helping these small ones BECOME. They are helping them find the path God has before them. They are helping them discover who they are and who God is. You aren’t just complimenting a stranger, you are sharing God’s light into the darkness. You aren’t just checking in on your friend who is grieving, you are reminding them that you love them even when they are in darkness. You aren’t just volunteering to teach Sunday School, lead at VBS, or serve at Trinity Table, you are being the hands and feet of God and building God’s Kingdom. What you do MATTERS.  
 
Jesus told a parable about being “just”. In Matthew 13:31-32 he says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his field. It’s the smallest of all seeds. (Did you hear that JUST in there?) But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”
 
That teenie-tiny seed isn’t JUST a seed and you are not JUST anything. You are an amazing child of God doing powerful work for God’s Kingdom. All the tiny “justs” of your day matter and I am so thankful for each of 
 
Leslie Bowers
 Director of Creative Services

Bishop Robin Dease has named Glisson Camp and Retreat Center as the recipient of the 2025 North Georgia Annual Conference Special Offering. For 100 years, Glisson has been a place of belonging, discovery, transformation, and calling for hundreds of thousands of children, youth, and adults across a century of camp ministry.
 
Generations of Glisson supporters and staff have provided life-changing experiences of Christian community in support of our shared mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 100% of this year’s Special Offering will go toward Glisson’s Campership Fund, which makes camp ministry accessible for those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Glisson believes camp ministry is not a luxury but an essential part of the faith formation of children and youth.

Through intentional stewardship and generous support, Glisson has a long history of offering high-quality, transformative camp ministry experiences at a cost well below the national average for a week of camp. Even so, Glisson is committed to ensuring that the cost of camp never prevents a camper from attending. In 2024, Glisson awarded over $60,000 in campership support. Your gift to this year’s Special Offering will help even more children and youth experience belonging and transformation in 2025 and beyond.
 
Churches are invited to receive the offering any time before Annual Conference, but many churches choose Sunday, June 1. One person from each local church will have an opportunity to present a check from their church during the Service of Remembrance on Friday, June 13, or checks may be submitted to the Conference Treasurer's Office.
 
Please indicate gifts as Fund #1140 Annual Conference Special Offering.
 
Conference Treasurer's Office
PO Box 102417
Atlanta, GA 30368-2417
 
North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Website, News

Music is such a vital part of the worship experience for most of us, joy filled and spirit feeding. I have always loved music. My parents sang in the church choir where I was baptized in Mt Holy, NJ. My sister and I would sit by ourselves, ages 5 & 7, in the big wooden pews, and watch them in wonder. Later, when we moved to Ohio, it was my grandmother singing in the church choir, where Joe and I married years later.  My sister and I sang in our community children’s choir, Harmony Hummers, during elementary school, and in my high school choir I learned Handel’s Messiah from our brave choir teacher. Fond memories come flooding back when I hear those hymns during Advent, even more so now that I understand the depth and breadth of the lyrics.  So, you can only imagine how excited I was when Chelsea Spits agreed to lead our Joyful Noise children’s choir.

Chelsea is a music educator and is in her 13th year of teaching. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of West Georgia. Post-grad, Chelsea enjoyed working for the Disney College Program before accepting the position as Director of Choral Activities at North Paulding High School in Dallas, GA. 

Following her tenure at NPHS, she pursued a new full-time career, that of “mama” to her two boys, Colin and Joshua. While staying home with them, she enjoyed teaching music virtually for Stride, Inc. The preschool and choir at Northbrook are what drew Chelsea and her family to the church. The highlight of her week is performing with the Northbrook UMC Chancel Choir, and she feels honored to be folded into the Northbrook Music Ministry by becoming the Director of Children’s Music. Chelsea resides in Woodstock with her husband Nicholas, two boys, and pups Penny and Lucy. When she’s not teaching or performing, Chelsea enjoys gardening, antiquing, and running.

                                         Please join me in welcoming Chelsea to her new role at Northbrook.
                     Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.
                                                       Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

Christy Merritt
Director of Children's Ministry

1 Corinthians 13:13 - "Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love."
​
I’m honored to teach what we call the “Chancel Choir Sunday School Class.”  It was designed with the purpose of providing an abbreviated lesson so choir members could attend a complete Sunday school lesson and be able to leave in time to rehearse before traditional worship.
 
We are small in number, but our classes have been so rich with the contributions of those who attend.  At the moment, we are tracing the footsteps of Jesus using Dallas Jenkins’ series The Chosen.  It is the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus, and it portrays Jesus through the eyes of those who knew Him.
 
There are moments in this series where we all fill the room with laughter--yes, I know - it’s awkward to think of laughing about the life of Jesus--and there are those intimate occurrences where all in the room are choking back tears.  There is suspense, abuse, celebration and moments of victory--all of which are common occurrences in our lives here on earth. 
 
An overall theme that continues to permeate the episodes is the frustration that Jesus experiences in His attempt to get the disciples to comprehend that they are preparing for a kingdom that is not of this world.  A kingdom ruled by God, not man. Things are different in this kingdom. Love is unconditional and forgiveness is common. Healing is not just physical but spiritual as well. The unwanted are wanted and there is a table large enough for anyone who so chooses to take a seat. 
 
This Lenten season is a time that we can set aside to prepare our hearts and minds to become kingdom builders. Easter is coming, but we as believers already know how the story ends with Jesus. We’ve seen the final episode. But the world is full of people who are hurting, discouraged, and unwanted. These are the people who need to fill our sanctuary on Easter Sunday. 
 
As kingdom builders, may we find the courage and the time to invite someone to Northbrook to hear the music, feel the love, and absorb the message of a resurrected Savior who offers hope, love, and a new life in a broken world.
 
Randy Hubbard

Psalm 34:18 - "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted…”

April 3 marked the 12-year anniversary of my mom's passing. It’s hard for me to believe it’s been that long. This time of the year is always filled with both grief and gratitude. The loss of my mom leftsuch a lasting impact on my family and me, yet I’m thankful for God's presence and steadfast love that provided comfort during our time of sorrow.

Honestly, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my mom. And while sometimes I still feel immense sadness that she is no longer on this earth, there is also joy—joy for her life well lived, the values she instilled in my siblings and me, and the love she shared with so many people. My mother never met a stranger and was truly a friend to all!

Friends, I believe our grief reminds us of the depth of our love for one another. Jesus knew this feeling when He wept for his friend Lazarus in John 11. His tears remind us that our sorrow is seen and understood by God. God’s presence and promise assure us that we are not alone in our pain.

As I reflect on my mom’s life, I want to encourage all of us to celebrate her legacy by living out the kindness, faith, and strength she showed to my family and to so many people.

So let us trust in the hope we have through Christ, the hope of eternal life, where we will one day be reunited with those we have lost. Until that day, let us honor her memory by loving well, just as she loved me. (The photo is from my wedding day with Rachel and my parents in January 2007.)
​
Allen Whittaker
Executive Director

By Christian Scheel​

Christian presented this devotion before a Northbrook Student Compass Team meeting, our steering committee for youth group. Having experienced God’s compassion firsthand, he’s inspired to volunteer with the youth group—to help them discover God’s love too.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)

Unlike those of you here, I didn’t grow up going to church. What’s odd about that is my father was a seminary drop-out, so you’d think someone who at least attempted to get into ministry would raise his children in the church. But that didn’t happen.

Although I didn’t grow up going to church, I did believe in God. I just didn’t know Him
and to be honest, I wasn’t sure He knew me.

Years later, after I married my wife Tiffany, who had grown up in the Methodist church, she started taking me to church. I was reluctant at first because I felt like an outsider, I didn’t understand the ritual of worship and certainly didn’t know the prayers and doxologies. I was afraid I would be made fun of or judged because I didn’t know what everyone else seemed to know.

That all changed when we had our first daughter, Allie. She was 7 weeks early, weighed
2lbs 6oz, and spent 5 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. At the same time, we had just moved into our new home, we hadn’t sold our previous house, and I got laid off from my job. All of this happened in the span of two weeks.

Allie was our little miracle. She was perfectly healthy, just tiny, which in her circumstances is somewhat unusual. We did however have other concerns. We had two mortgages, I didn’t have a job, and because Allie was so small we committed to having one of us stay home with Allie until we felt she was big enough for pre-school.

Since I didn’t have a job and Tiffany did, I stayed home. This lasted for two years. Money was really tight. It took us months to sell our other house, and we had cut our income in half. It seemed that every month we were on the verge of financial collapse. But here’s where it gets interesting. When we finally sold our old house, we were able to take some of that profit to help with the bills. Once that ran out and things began to look dire, money would show up out of nowhere. We got a huge tax refund I can’t explain that helped us for a couple of months. Then Tiffany got a once in a career award from her company that came with a big cash bonus. A couple of times I had former work colleagues call me from out of the blue to offer me a few weeks of work. Every time we were in financial need, money would appear. God was providing for us. I think He was performing miracles in our lives.

The reason I share this is to reassure you that God knows you, He knows what you need in your life and will provide for you, and that He does indeed perform miracles. This experience opened my eyes to Him and proved to me that even a man who didn’t grow up in relationship with God, I was indeed claimed by God as his child. He made his presence known to me through His acts of love and grace. I learned that even with all of my flaws, my lack of biblical knowledge, and even a shaky relationship with Him, I am worthy of His love. Surely, He will do the same for you.

Christian Scheel
Northbrook Students Volunteer