Thoughts

Perhaps you’ve experienced it. That faint sense of letdown when the last gift is opened, and the Christmas music is no longer playing on the radio. The aisles in the stores are picked over and marked with clearance tags while personnel quickly clear out merchandise to make way for the next holiday. At home, the […]

On days when I struggle, when I see people as difficult and demanding, when my head swims with confusion, and I just want peace, there are some actions I must take. I must As I think about this today, here is a short list of blessings: I am not making light of the many problems […]

And he (Jesus) answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself (Luke 10:27) This command first appeared as part of the Shema, which remains a central prayer of Judaism, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 6. Moses repeated it multiple times to the Israelites, and Joshua […]

I am not one for making New Year’s resolutions, but as I contemplate the year before me, I am drawn to Paul’s words in the Philippians, chapter three. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Philippians 3:10 KJV). Rather […]

On Christmas we remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior, what many think of as the beginning of his life. While it was the start of his life as a human being on this Earth, it was also a continuation of his eternal being. John chapter one tells us that he was in the […]

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:18 – 19, KJV). The legends and lore of Christmas intertwine with the simple story of Christ’s birth creating scenarios that only vaguely resemble the […]

Today is preparation day. While many people do all their preparation on the day of Thanksgiving, certain facts have me doing a lot of preparation on the day before. Those facts (we eat at noon on Thanksgiving and there will be a lot of people) are now joined by the truth that I am slower […]

1 Corinthians 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) I said I was not going there again. But then the fall candy showed up. I had to buy some for the Trunk or Treat […]

Sometimes I am confused. Sometimes my soul is shaken by the evil in this world. Sometimes Psalm 82:5 describes my life – “All the foundations of the earth are out of course.” – and I feel like I am trying to step where the land is falling away, stone by stone, under my feet. My […]

If we could see beyond the mists of this world into eternity, If we could view God’s power and His presence as they truly are, the burdens would seem lighter. Our days would be brighter. And we would walk with confidence and joy. I Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor […]

Peter, that disciple we seem to most identify with, the headstrong, the determined, the outspoken, the foot-in-the-mouth one, followed Christ from the moment that Jesus called him from his fisherman’s nets. Peter slipped sometimes. He trusted the wrong voice sometimes, and he often spoke when he should have been listening. He messed up royally, but […]

I really identified with this prayer. Perhaps you can, too. Proverbs 16:31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.

Dear Teacher, As I drove along Highway 22 today, I passed cluster after cluster of traumatized trees left from the disaster known as Hurricane Michael. Many trees, though growing, were spindly and bent. Other trees were growing in unnatural ways with stubby branches and shapes that were anything but symmetrical. A few trees stood straight […]

Today, I cooked breakfast and cleaned the kitchen. I picked up stray items and made the bed. I washed and dried clothes. I read books to grandchildren, inspected an armadillo hole, and helped the children chase millipedes. We shoveled, dug worms, and walked to the mailbox. Racing and laughter were involved. Later, I prepared lunch […]

This is the day I will praise You. This is the day I must sing. This is the time I will lift my voice, Adoring You my King. Now is the moment of worship. Now I can see Your grace. Now is the time I long to live Held fast in Your embrace. My heart […]

When we face the depths of our sin, we either run willingly to the cross for forgiveness, or we bury the knowledge, hardening the heart and distancing ourselves from the love which Christ has so freely given. I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and […]

Once I was lost, but now I am found. Once I lived in fear, but now God’s peace fills my heart. Once I struggled to be good enough, but now I know that Christ is good enough. Once I walked in darkness, but now Christ has given light. Once I worried about the future, but […]

We have just come through a weekend of funerals, memorial services to honor and remember those who have gone before us. We began with the life of a 72-year-old man who had lived a full and eventful life. He chose to embrace adventure and learning, and he left a legacy of stories that will long […]

Happy Birthday, America! Today we remember the bravery of the those who established the foundational concepts of our country. Immersed in the culture and strength and faith of the early immigrants who came to America seeking freedom to live and prosper and worship, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence risked their lives and […]

I fritter around, anxious about being anxious, forgetting that when Jesus is near, the sick are raised, funerals are interrupted, and the weary and wondering are given assurance and help. Luke 7:20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? […]