I am finding that I tend to be ok with the big challenges of life, but that I often hold onto the small day-to-day challenges – little pains, dealing with the healthcare bureaucracy, being tired, etc. I keep these things to myself and don’t give them to God as I want to. I need to pray about why this is so. I know Matthew 10:28 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall …
Category: God as our Source
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. – John 5:19 (NIV) I don’t know about you, but I do a lot each day by myself….not “as I see the Father doing” How do we reach this oneness with God, where we only do what the Father desires of us? Surrender might be high on the list. …
A friend of mine recently shared that she had made a choice to stop “cursing the crisis”. In her case, the crisis was Covid’s many frustrations. While not diminishing the reality of the pain it has caused, I think she was speaking to her attitude about the crisis. I resonated with her comment as I too had been cursing the crisis. So what do we do? Do I curse the situation and complain, knowing that I have little to no …
“Therefore, my God, I give thanks and praise Your glorious name. All things come from You, and I can only give You what comes from Your hand” – 1 Chronicles 29:14 The world tells us to always own things, not rent. We all know, renting is not wise financially for the long-term. Some people can’t afford to own things, like furniture, due to the need for a large sum of money at the time of purchase, so they rent instead. …
I want God’s favor on my life as I know you do. However, my go-to response to gain God’s favor was to do all the things Christians are supposed to do. Have a quiet time, study my Bible, pray, help little old ladies across the street. These are wonderful ways to love God and others, but something simpler might just come first. The key, I believe, is found in a few verses in Luke 1 regarding Mary, …
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12 (ESV) ~~~ At most equestrian events, you ride your well-trained horse as fast and as well as you can. You give it your best to earn the blue ribbon. But at certain collegiate equestrian events, the rules are quite different. Rather than riding your own horse, you …
I don’t know about you but when I have a little extra money in the bank I experience a certain kind of feeling that is quite unique. I feel a little lighter, a little bit freer, happier, more generous, safer, stronger, more at peace and more confident. I was thinking about this recently because I had just deposited a large customer check into my bank account. My feelings were almost euphoric. Maybe this euphoria or rush is part of …
In my last blog, I suggested that to let go and let God did not mean we were to just stop doing any activity and wait for some mysterious force to solve all our problems. Letting go and letting God is more about letting go of our will, expected outcomes, dreams, impulses, grand ideas, plans and even our very lives. To the modern world the idea of relinquishing control of any part of our lives sounds foolish. If you’re not …
There’s always that one person that says “let go and let God” right when you are in the middle of a hyper-stressful situation of your life….when you’re trying to do whatever you can to resolve something that seems on the edge of disaster. But, “let go and let God” sounds a bit too passive for us Americans. My friend Blake said recently that “culture constantly communicates and reinforces the idea that we must be the hero and that failure is …
As the deer pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42: 1-2 (NASB) ~~~~~ I heard a speaker at a men’s retreat once say that he wakes each morning and runs to the cross of Christ. He wakes up and runs, not walks, to the cross….to Jesus. Wow. What a stunning visual. That made me stop and ask: Who or what am I running to first each day? …