“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 In the midst of great pain and anguish, life can be quite difficult. Pressures from others, from day-to-day existence and challenges within us can squeeze the life out of us and steal our joy. But, the peace and love of God is more powerful than any life event and …
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It’s impossible to fully put into words God’s love. It’s so wide and deep and unnatural from a human perspective. Yet, in a way, God’s love is quite simple and tangible. You can see it a neighbor’s kindness….in a heart-felt thank you….in someone going out of their way to help another who is hurting. Of course we know: God is love….and when He is present in others hearts, we see His love shine through in astounding ways. I was led …
Walking up the stairs one day after my first chemotherapy treatment, I had a bounce in my step that I’d not had in several days. I felt better than good; I felt really good. I had gotten really tired around noon that day and regained my strength late afternoon. In that moment of realizing the state of my health, I became overwhelmingly focused on gratitude and all the things I’ve been given from the Lord. A beautiful home and loving …
I knew one day during this cancer journey, that at some point, I’d likely be curled up in a ball of pain. It happened a few weeks ago after a shot of Neupogen, a medicine to spur my white blood cell count. It brought about excruciating pain in my joints and bones. In the middle of that pain, I realized I have a choice. Stay inward, focused on the pain and my needs – or direct my eyes to the …
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 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 …
We will rejoice in you and be glad. We will extol your love more than wine. Song of Solomon 1:4 For years I tried to gather up all the diamonds and jewels this world had to offer. I was so obsessed with gathering up material things that I was oblivious to God’s abundant goodness and beauty all around me. He was around me all the time with eternal treasure, yet I was blind and uninterested. This poem is about that …
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 we transition from winter to spring it stirs my heart to see life emerge in both animals and plants. It is surely a picture of Easter and resurrected life. Last week, on a warm spring morning, I saw several small birds flittering around our water fountain to get a drink of water. I was reminded of how well they are taken care of, yet how much more God loves and cares for us. Hope you enjoy this poem about …
At Easter we celebrate the beauty and life resulting from Jesus’ painful work on the Cross. He endured tremendous agony to carry the sin burden of us all, yet on the other side is abiding love and wonder. We get to experience a fullness of life that simply cannot be replaced by any work of man, no matter how great. Here at Easter, I pray that you yield your very life to Him so that you can experience the utter …