One thing is consistent about vacations….you don’t want to leave. You long to remain there for one more swim in the pool or one more hour at the beach. We all want to linger, tarry, continue and remain on vacation. This word remain is the same word used in scripture when Jesus reminds us of a secret to a great relationship with Him. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me …
Tag: Comfort
According to a study by Columbia University, there are significant benefits to sitting down to eat a meal as a family. The study concludes that when we eat more meals sitting down together good things happen. …”everyone eats healthier meals, kids are less likely to be obese, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, try marijuana….their grades will improve, they’ll talk more…there will be less stress and tension at home and your child will feel like you’re proud of them….” Just as …
As a young boy, Frank loved milk. For breakfast he had milk and cereal. At lunch he always drank milk with his sandwich and his mom made him hot chocolate milk after school. And, yes, like all kids, he loved to dip Oreos in his milk. Frank loved it when his mom went to the grocery store to get food…and milk. When Frank was older, he met a dairy farmer while out traveling one day. The farmer asked …
Have you ever been driving down the road and all of a sudden noticed a wild driver coming up really fast behind you? If you’re like most people, your attention is suddenly divided between looking forward….to where you’re headed….and looking in your rear view mirror…at the erratic driver behind you. :/ Similarly, when trust is missing in a relationship we tend to spend an inordinate amount of time and energy looking over our shoulder to see if the person in …
If you are like me, you probably have days when you get so wrapped up in life’s rapid-fire events that you leave God out. Everyday events, conflicts, fears, interpersonal clashes, decisions and trials get solved….more or less…on our own. This, to say the least, does not result in the inner peace that God promises us. I am fortunate that in a moment of quiet reflection some time ago, God gave me a image in my mind that was so real I could almost feel it. It was a …
I visited a prison recently as part of my job. As I walked along a sidewalk near some repair work being done, I was struck by the sight of several jail cell doors stacked on top of each other. These once impermeable doors were now of no use for keeping prisoners at bay. What once held back criminals was now just a stack of metal…their usefulness, and power, gone. Prison cell doors are massive, weighing 500 – 2,000 pounds each. You …
It was complete and utter devastation….obliteration on a scale seldom seen….chaos where beauty and order had just stood. Virtually everything flattened. Metal poles warped and distorted like twist ties on a loaf of bread. Majestic trees snapped in two like dry spaghetti…flatted like pixie sticks. It was as though a bomb went off where homes once stood….contents strewn far away…like fine china shattered on a marble floor….into a million pieces. This is Tuscaloosa, Alabama. On my way to Mississippi recently, I stayed at a Hampton …
Is it true that God is really with us…all the time?…even when things seem out of control, disorganized, and life’s purpose seems hollow? Is God still there when people hurt you, when you get slighted or when you feel inferior to everyone around you? Ever been in a meeting where personalities clashed, emotions roared and feelings were hurt. Ever sling a little mud back at the person that’s attacking you? I have. I recently had one of those meetings where …
If you struggle with depression, guilt, loneliness, shame, sin, emptiness, sorrow….or if you sense that there are corners of your heart that are not aligned to the Maker….lift this prayer to God above. My Soul’s Reprieve My heavy heart, oh tired and gray its weight I surely feel longing for a fairer day when buds to blossom deal. ~ Then from above a tear appears and bits of light burst forth, dark corners sigh and burden wanes oh hint of life and birth. ~ Then from above a jewel …
Riverstone Church in Kennesaw, GA has special programs and events that emphasize healing of physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Jesus said, “My Father’s house will be a house of prayer.” At RiverStone we believe that prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. We desire everything we do to be bathed in prayer. To this end, we have a prayer room in the church building that is available for use and we also have activities centered on our …