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| Heart of God ~ Owego, NY In 2006, I started going to the Heart of God church in Owego, NY. It was a very long drive. About fifty miles or so one way and could not keep up with going. This little church with a tiny congregation was powerful. At least in my life it was. Even though I had been baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church I had never attended one.......well once. I went with a family of friends to the one in Norwich, NY. The first thing that happened after mass was the priest welcomed me. Then a woman who must have worked for the church came right over to me to tell my where I had to go for Catholic instructions and then how much I had to pay for going to church there. Wanting to know my household income, not my income but "household" income. Even though my husband was not coming to the church. I was out of there. Never wanted to go back to a Catholic Church after that experience.  The reason I went to church in Owego at The Heart of God was because I met Pastor Joy in my mother-in-law's hospital room. I felt her energy when she walked into the waiting room! It was a feeling I had never had in my whole life. Not long after meeting her, I convinced my husband to take me to her church on Easter. I will never forget that day! It was one of my happiest days. The welcome that we received as soon as we sat down was amazing!  I thought we had become good friends with the people there and Pastor Joy and her husband, Arden. Along with other issues, including the long drive to the church every Sunday, I had to stop going there. It was a sad time for me. The people there were having conflicts with each other at the time and it was just not good to attend any longer. After that I did not go to any other church. Nobody could measure up to Pastor Joy and when I did hear someone else preaching, including on the internet, something was missing. Pastor Joy's Sermon August 14, 2022 Since I watch YouTube, it wasn't long before I started following Pastor Joy's moving sermons on her channel there. It is helping me at this point in my life. I feel so much conflict around me lately. It always goes back to that problem of other people always thinking they are right about everything. Even though if you look at their life it doesn't seem to be so. I just keep my thoughts to myself as I used to. I have always done that and probably always will. If you watch these videos, there is a part 2 on each of them. They are worth watching and subscribe to her channel if you can. Pastor Joy 2011 You get to a certain time in your life and you do not want conflicts in your life any more. So I just make small talk with others. Not about me and what I think or feel. I write those thoughts for myself in my journal. Life should not be about defending your choices or beliefs. I do something I learned when I went to Al-Anon some years back when I was married to an alcoholic. It is called "distancing yourself". I do it all the time. It works. Then whatever they do and how it affects their own life is their choice. Not trying to change anyone's mind to believe what I believe or do. Though I keep in mind that you should surround yourself with 'like minded people". Unfortunately, I have not met any in person.  |
Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole
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