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Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 10:50 PM

Faith and Life -- a column from local faith leaders

Once per week or so, Fallon’s faith leaders offer their thoughts on faith and life. Any church or faith community of any kind is welcome and encouraged to participate. If you have ideas for topics we should write about, or if you or your pastor or faith leader would like to participate, please call Pastor Dawn Blundell at Epworth UMC, 775-423-4714.
  • Source: Reverend Dawn Blundell, Epworth UMC
Faith and Life -- a column from local faith leaders

Author: Stan Latttin

If you’d like to talk more about anything you read here, or if you would like prayer or a listening ear, we hope you will reach out to one of us. If you don’t already have a church home, you are invited to join us for worship, too! You’ll find contact information and worship times below.

Does God Have a Plan, and are Current Events a Part of it?

 

Dawn Blundell, Epworth United Methodist Church

Senior Pastor

In-Person worship Sunday mornings at 9:00 am, sermon live at 9:30 am on Facebook Live and KVLV AM980. For more info, please call 775-423-4714 or visit www.epworthfallon.org

Ultimately, God’s plan is for every last bit of evil to be destroyed, for love to reign, and for God’s amazing, perfect garden kingdom to come to earth. Can’t happen soon enough. Between then and now, though, is a lot of messy stuff that I will confess I do not have the answer to. The Bible tells us, and we know, that people have free will and sometimes choose to be just awful in ways that are definitely not part of God’s plan. Then there is illness and accident, pain and loss of all kinds…those things are part of the natural world, but pain and hardship are not given to us by a vengeful or careless God to hurt us. What IS God’s plan, I believe, is to love us into wholeness; to overwhelm us with beauty, goodness, wonder, and truth; and to guide us to perfection in love.

 

 

Aaron Sorensen, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Fallon South Stake President

For more info, please call 775-742-9040 or visit www.churchofjesuschrist.org

As we face trials, we often think, “Why me?” or, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Despite the challenges we face here on earth, we know we have a Father in Heaven who has a plan for each one of us. Our goal is to return to live with him after this life. As we face the challenges of mortality, these experiences mold us into the people He wants us to become. Sometimes those challenges are personal, sometimes those challenges are worldwide, such as a global pandemic. We can let trials humble us and draw us closer to God or we can harden our hearts. If we learn from our trials the Master can sculpt us into His fine work of art.

 

 


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Rosemarie 05/23/2021 08:55 AM
When current events rattle people who don’t believe yet, it is good to remain calm so that they might understand that God is always in charge, no reason to worry.

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COMMENTS
Comment author: Johnathan Skinner Comment text: I have known Jorge for decades. Anyone who even heard about will tell you he was aging and createdan incredible legacy. Comment publication date: 8/17/26, 7:40 PM Comment source: Jorge Jose Guerrero Comment author: Patti Cole Comment text: Marie will be forever treasured in memories. The memories remain of a soft-spoken, seemingly unassuming but determined individual who absolutely knew what path she wanted to take in life, and followed it. Her instinctive reactions, which highlighted her steadfast level of love and caring for her family, friends and all living things found in nature, hold lessons for us all. An unexpected splash of her self-deprecating humor, coupled with uncanny timing, will always bring a smile. For me, Marie lives on in the sighting of a Black-crowned night heron in the tules, the bloom of a beautiful spring flower and, most poetically, in the struggle of wildlife photographers handling their very large camera lenses. Comment publication date: 8/15/26, 9:31 AM Comment source: Obituary-Marie Dong Ko Comment author: John Chaney Comment text: I just figured out that Betty was my 1st cousin. Her dad Ted was my dad's brother. I never knew Ted or Betty, but I wish I did. I am 73 and live in IL. I am building my family tree and see where Betty has fit in. Blessings to you Curt and family. Comment publication date: 8/14/26, 11:04 AM Comment source: Obituary - Betty Lou (Chaney) Anderson Comment author: Karen Webb Comment text: I am so sorry to hear this. I loved coming to the carwash to see John! He always made my day. Prayers for all of his family during this difficult time. Comment publication date: 8/11/26, 8:56 PM Comment source: In Memory of John Evans
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