But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. John 17: 13-14 There are times when we want to escape this nasty, trouble-filled world. Yet, we must stay. But just “staying” is not enough. …
Category: Peace
We went to Hilton Head recently and I got to do something quite special. I sat alone in a beach chair in the water as the tide went out. For 30 minutes my mind and soul were transfixed on the wonder, scale and epic nature of the ocean. For me, the vastness of the ocean is a powerful metaphor of the immense nature of God and the expanse of His everlasting love toward us. Even the waves lapping on the …
I’m learning a lot about God’s intense, caring and personal love. In the course of my short cancer journey (March 2021) I have experienced God’s love in many ways, the deep love of God through friends and the love of the Lord in other ways like by sitting quietly on our patio in His presence. I am thinking there are a lot of ways to experience His grand love. For me, right now, it seems to mainly come in two …
As an Enneagram 3, (an achiever) it is very hard for me to just walk away from my work and do something that is not connected to a goal…like taking a stroll for no good reason. You too may have some personality style that you are comfortable with yet it’s hard for you to break out of it and do something new or challenging. Maybe you are learning, like me, to release that thing we “go to” for stability so naturally. This poem …
A few weeks ago, before I turned 59, I wrote this poem about how striving for achievement and goals can weigh us down...or better put, weigh me down. The sense I had was that I still have work to do to surrender my goals, plans and my very days to Him...to trust Him. Not sure if you can relate, but I know I want to continue my journey toward complete freedom, where I can trust Him more and more …
John 3:18 reminds us of a wonderful resolution to a horrific reality. M Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. M Jesus didn’t come to earth to condemn us…we were already that way from birth…separated from God. Desperately sad, but true. M So, we need a Savior to release us from the prison of sin we’re born …
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 …
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. – John 10:10 ESV ~~~~~ Perhaps you remember the movie – Groundhog Day. Each day Bill Murray wakes up and relives the same day as before. When he first realizes that his days are repeating, he takes advantage of his knowledge for his own benefit. But later on, he realizes that perhaps he should make some life changes and that helps …
On Good Friday the Christian world celebrates the good news of not having to bear the penalty of our own sinfulness toward God. Thankfully, we did not get what we deserved for our rebellion against God. Christ paid the price for our sin and became sin for us, so we could be restored to relational union with Him. Amazingly, because of Easter, when we spit in God’s face and do our own thing, we can quickly confess our wrong…turn from our sinful ways …
When challenges come our way, the world tells us to “be strong”, “power through it”, “only the strong survive” and “just put your mind to it”. Sometimes we may need to hear those messages, but seldom are we advised to have a humble surrendered heart toward God. Some years ago, I tried to power through and quit smoking, but it never seemed to happen. I quit about 100 times. My “just put your mind to it” simply wasn’t enough. Perhaps you can relate to something …