Hello, and thanks for stopping by! My name is James Laurence. I live outside Albemarle, North Carolina, where I serve as the Pastor of First Lutheran Church of Albemarle.
I am blessed to be married to an amazing wife, and to be the father of two incredible children. I grew up in Massachusetts (Northborough), went to college in Maine (Bowdoin), graduate school in Illinois (The University of Chicago), and seminary in South Carolina (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary). And I’ve lived a few other places along the way, too! But I love where I am now, in a fantastic small town on the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest. I am an avid runner, and enjoy getting out on the trails as well as running around my neighborhood. And when I’m not running, I love to relax on my back porch with my dog and family. And a good book, of course!
I started this blog to share my sermons, devotions, and other pastoral ponderings with my congregation, and it has grown to be a place for me to share book reviews, favorite quotes, poems that inspire me, and a little of my own poetry, too.
I have also enjoyed discovering and reading blogs of many others along the way. So, if you blog, I’d love for you to share your blog with me!
Oh, if you are new to my blog, here are a few posts to get you started:
What Do I Believe about Prayer?
The Five Pillars of My Prayer Life
Caring For Our Relationships In Stressful Times
How Poetry Has Deepened My Reading of Scripture
How Writing Poetry Has Deepened My Spiritual Life
What Are Scripture’s Most Compelling Questions?
My Pastoral Ponderings 