In 2020 I became a “plant mom.” This might not sound ground-breaking, but I promise you, up to that point, I did not have a green thumb on either hand, as I had never kept a plant alive. However, in the fall of 2019, I bought a couple of plants at The Gift Goes On, with a promise from the seller, “these are nearly impossible to kill,” so I decided to try my hand at botany. Turns out, they were indeed easy to keep alive and the seed was planted in me to keep growing my plant collection - which to date includes 31 plant-babies. The secret, I discovered, is threefold: healthy soil, correct watering, and appropriate placement.

One of the biggest blessings I received, as part of our church’s 60th birthday celebration team, was the stories we heard.  Our meetings typically began with a personal story of how the people of Council Road had impacted lives. My eyes were teary at some point in every meeting, each of us amazed at how the saints of our church have faithfully carried the torch lit by the Holy Spirit over 60 years ago. In these stories, we saw the power and purpose of the Church over and over.